The Cave
by Spiffylein
Summary: Sam calls Jack to asked to give her a lift to the bank and than work, when a robbery goes wrong. R R, 1 chapter...
1. Chapter 1

The Cave

The phone rang. He tried to ignore it; the inside of his fridge was so far more interesting to him right now. "ah, for crying out loud", he slammed the door shut and walked over to his Livingroom. Now the search for the annoying device started. Following the tune, it was not long till he had a hold of it. "Yeah, O`Neill?" he barked.

"Sir, Good morning. Uhm, ehm…" stuttered the voice on the other side

"Carter?" Jack was caught by surprise

"Yes, Sir." Now the voice seemed a bit calmer and firmer.

"How can I help ya?" for his favorite 2IC he always had time.

"My car broke down and I need to go very urgently to the bank. I was wondering before you go to work if you can give me a lift to the bank and then the mountain?" She spoke so fast that Jack had problems to catch all of this but was sure he got the main part.

"I am right there" he hung up and realized he would skip breakfast but one of his teammates needed help and he was so giving in to it.

After a short drive his truck reached the house of Carter. A short honk and now he waited. She was sure to come soon. His eyes wandered around and he was watching a squirrel that was just looking for something to eat. The door opened and Carter jumped in. "Morning, sir. Thanks for the lift "while strapping herself into the seatbelt.

"Any Time Carter, any time" replied Jack and started the engine. "So which bank do you have to go to?"

They talked about trivial matters during the short trip to Carter's bank. Both avoided talking about a topic that might have something to do with their work. Arriving at the parking lot, Carter got out.

"You are staying here sir?" She looked at her friend in surprise.

"You need a babysitter?" Jack answered the question with a question.

"Maybe, you never know. But it`s ok sir, you do not have to. "Carter was just turning around as she heard him mumble under his breath and a door slammed shut. A light smile came over her face.

"Oy, lots of people here at this time of a morning on a Wednesday?" Jack wondered himself,

"Yeah, you are right. Normally it's not that busy in the middle of the week" she answered curiously and got herself on the end of the queue.

Jack was standing a bit aside, going through some leaflets and watching the people in his immediate surroundings. He registered how the door opened and a few more customers entered. Carter was not even a step closer than five minutes ago and he sighed. That can still take some time.

Jack rummaged his phone out of his pocket to inform Hammond that it might be a little later when the main entrance door was torn open and four masked men stormed in with machine guns and pistols. For a split second he was taken off guard before his military training kicked in.

"This is a bank robbery, all on the ground. Shut up and nobody gets hurt." He hardly heard the words and looked over to Sam. Why did she have to stand so far away from him? He could not protect her that way, even though he knew that as an Air Force officer she could take good care of herself. Like a well-rehearsed team, the four robbers swarmed out.

One had glanced at Sam with what Jack did not like at all. He just wanted to take a step towards the duo as she shook her head slightly. This little gesture did not go unnoticed by the man, who now stood beside her, and looked in the direction in which Jack stood. He aimed his gun at him and just stared. Jack stopped instantly.

"Is this your husband?" The masked man now addressed the question to Sam. `what to do? Do I tell the truth he could hurt him to hurt me, do I lie? They could hurt him because he means nothing to me. She just tried the truth "no".

The bank robber looked again at Jack and hints at him finally to sit down, since the two were now the only hostages who were still standing. Jack hesitated and before he knew it, the crook standing next to Sam was standing in front of him and pressed the barrel of a 9 mm into his right shoulder.

Jack's face twisted into a pain-filled grimace. "If you do not want to have a hole right here, I strongly suggest you sit down. But before you do, you can empty your bags. Your wallet, watch, etc. Everything that goes with it. "This time, Jack did not hesitate and did as he was told. He did not want to risk his or Carter's life.

He gave his entire bag contents to the man in front of him. He just did not want to sit down. The feeling that he then had no control over this situation he was in right now, he did not like. The masked one could not resist and rummaged through Jack's papers. Among other things, he found there the military ID card of the Colonel.

Jack grimaced slightly as he heard a mischievous laugh. He knew what that meant. "Boys, listen. We have a real hero here. "The bank robber shouted to his comrades. "So, you are Colonel in the Air Force," he turned back to his opposite. Jack just shrugged and answered as light as possible "Guilty as charged".

He received a violent punch on his left side of the face a second later. The barrel of the gun had done a great job. A cut above the left eye of the colonel opened the red liquid channels. Jack swayed briefly under the blow but remained steadfast. Silently he looked at his adversary, wondered for what that was for and waited. Normally he would say something again, but he thought of Sam.

She was still standing behind the criminal and did not move. Only saw the whole scene with a certain desperation. She felt guilty. He wanted to wait in his truck, she had dragged him in with it. Now he had to pay it. A bank robber came and pushed her past his mate into Jack's arms. "shut up, sit down" he commanded briefly and thus ended the gimmick of the first bank robber.

Both officers did as they were told and Sam wanted to look at Jack's eye, which he refused. It seemed to him that both were safer if you did not tell them that they were friends.

The remaining bank robbers had now collected everything. It had not taken long and yet someone had contacted the police. A certain nervousness was spreading among the four criminals and they were busy thinking about what to do.

The sirens came closer and they would have no chance. "I have an idea," one of the four answered. "We take a hostage", the others agreed. Another asked if each of them could take one when the first already had a big grin on his face. "We have a Colonel here. That means they will let us go with him.

No one risks the life of a USAF Officer " with that said he turned around and went in a few steps to Jack. With his weapon drawn, he ordered him to stand. "First you are so eager that I sat down and now I should get up again. Can you decide? "He grumbled to himself. Jack took his time which seemed a bit too slow for the guy in front of the colonel and he started to pull Jack to his black sweater.

He almost lost his balance but was able to catch himself at the last moment. The satisfaction he would not give his tormentor. When he stood in front of him in full height, he rolled his eyes and asked as casually as possible "And now? You will not come out of here anyway. No matter what hostage you take. There's no negotiation with criminals. "Jack had focused on just one of the four men and did not notice that another had pulled his pistol and fired a shot at the Colonel.

A scream, and the O`Neill dropped to the ground. Jack blinked a few times and tried to control his breathing. The bullet hit him in the right shoulder. He knew that there was nothing life threatening that could be hit but since it was a clear shot through his shoulder, he was losing blood and that could become a problem for him in the long run.

Sam winced and could not believe her eyes. Her friend was lying on the floor in front of her. Blood seeped into the fabric of his pullover. He was breathing hard though. She did not know how to help him and if she could. She heard her coughing CO and wished she could turn back time.

She saw how Jack tried to sit up and how one of the men rudely pulled him on his right shoulder, which had just been injured. His face reflected his pain. For others, it was hard to see. He was too good at pretending, but she knew him, and she knew what was going on in his head. She had known him for years; she knew how clever he was.

Even though Jack O'Neill always acted as if he was not the brightest button on earth, his strength was that his opponents underestimated him, and he knew exactly how it could be exploited in his favor.

The police had arrived and had surrounded the bank. A policeman announced over a loudspeaker that the bank will be stormed if the four men do not surrender. The four criminals did not hesitate long - everyone grabbed a hostage. The leader had grabbed Jack and pushed him in front of him.

The Colonel had no choice but to surrender and to do what he was asked to do. The pressure of the pistol in his ribs made that clear. Carter was also used as a human shield and so were 2 other hostages.

"We come out and want a car big enough for eight people," yelled the leader with Jack as cover to the policeman. Not twenty minutes later they had been informed that the car which was the wish of the criminals had arrived. The rest of the criminals now took their shields and made their way to the door where Jack had been in an uncomfortable position for more than twenty minutes.

His hostage-taker now had him in a stranglehold and Jack felt he was weakened by the blood loss. Under normal circumstances he might have been able to defend himself, but he was slightly bent over backwards, with the pistol still in his side with the said stranglehold. Out of the corner of his eye he could see the police guns following. Close behind them followed the second with Carter and then the other two followed with their respective hostages.

Arriving at the car, they pushed Sam and Jack onto the loading area in the cargo hold. All four crooks were in the car and the other two hostages had been released. The biggest chance they had was if they just kept the couple. Jack moaned at the rough impact and stayed right at the spot where he was thrown. Sam worried about him but if the van was not moving, she could not check him over.

Too big was the danger. The guys in the front were aware that they both were good friends and colleagues. Now they only knew that Jack was a member of the Air Force, but no one had thought of Sam and that should stay so if possible. Slowly, the vehicle started to move, and the police had cleared the way. There was nothing left for the police to do at that moment in time.

The two officers in the back of the van had now been on their own. The surrounding snipers had reported that no one had a clear shot and there was a danger that the others would lose their nerve and eventually execute the hostages. This should be avoided under all circumstances possible.

Sam crept quietly to her friend, who had slipped a bit to the side. "Jack?" Softly she called him.

"Sam," he replied even more softly. She knew he needed a doctor as soon as possible. His shoulder wound was still bleeding and she's wondering how best to shut it down. She stroked the colonel's short hair, trying to give him a feeling of security.

Jack had his eyes closed now. He felt how she stroked him and enjoyed it. He only wished that the circumstances were better than those in which they were now. The van had now taken on a bit more speed and the police had pursued the vehicle at a safe distance. But lost it after a few miles.

In the bank, the remaining ex hostages were all relieved and everyone took a deep breath, glad everybody survived it unharmed.

After a long drive, the van turned on a field or forest road. Sam felt how the ground changed and the vehicle now moved more as before and shook all the inmates. She heard the Colonel moan quietly in pain. His eyes were still closed. She had removed her and his socks, creating a makeshift bandage around his injured shoulder.

Since the loading area was dark, Sam had never been able to see where they were going or where they were now. But she noticed how the van slowed down until it came to a standstill.

The doors were torn open and one of the hostage-takers waved a rifle in front of their noses and ordered them to climb out. Sam tried to explain that the Colonel was in no condition to do so, but no one wanted to listen. Without further ado, he was pulled from the loading area by his ankles and dropped on the forest floor. Jack groaned and tried to stand up.

But was immediately pressed back to the ground. Someone had his foot on his back and laughed dangerously at his victim, who now lay quietly on the ground. Jack did not have the strength he needed to fight and if they did not let him get up, he would not go for it. Sam now yelled at the man who was standing over Jack and had a blow to her face as a result immediately that burst open her lip.

She took a quick look around to see the situation and saw that another car was here. As if a light bulb had been switched on in her head, she just realized that it was all planned. Take two hostages here and change the car. The faces were never seen by anyone, so now they could get rid of the two hostages and drive away with a clear conscience with the whole loot.

The man who took a liking on Jack and the torture he could give him, took his foot off the back of his victim and gave him a kick in the side. Sam heard a crackling noise and knew that at least one rib of the Colonel's was already broken. She did not dare to remember how many opportunities her friend had to crack or break them.

It seemed the rarest case when it was just a bruise. Jack bit his lip and did not made a sound. He stumbled on the cold metal of the van, just so he would not have to say hello again to the forest floor. He looked over to Sam and gave her a faint smile before he had to cough and spat out some blood.

Sam saw this and it scared her, hoping only that the four criminals would finally make it on the way, leaving them both alone, and she could finally get help for the Colonel. She had not counted on the dark side of humanity. "We should keep a hostage. Just in case. I do not trust the whole thing that way. The Colonel will soon give up the sign of life so we should take the woman.

"One of the men noticed, another agreed and already licked his lips as he looked over to Sam and checked her out from top to bottom. "The woman will not help you. You have more chance of accomplishing your project if you have a USAF Colonel as a hostage." stated Jack with a glimmer of hope that they would leave his Major alone.

"I will go with you but leave the woman here. If she is good, she will eventually find her way back to civilization. If not, then you have not lost anything. "Jack tried to offer himself to get Sam out of the lane. He hoped that she would have memorized the number plate of the second car to be able to report it to the nearest police station.

The man who had favored Jack beamed with enthusiasm. This meant he could do a bit more to him and continue to play with his victim to his heart's content. Where they went, they would never be found, and the Colonel would be forever in their trap. He liked this idea so much that he convinced his comrades.

Sam wanted to protest. She knew Jack was signing his own death sentence and she would not let it happen. But the decision was made. A strong blow on the back of her neck and Sam collapsed like a wet sack of potatoes.

Jack's hands were tied to his back and then he was put into the trunk of the second car. His long legs barely had room in it and his reclining position was anything but comfortable. He only hoped that she would soon wake up and seek help. His science genius was safe for now. That was all that did count for the Colonel. He closed his eyes and went to the land of dreams.

Jack was pretty shaken up by now; he drifted in and out of consciousness. His shoulder and ribs made him feel alive still. Pain is good, then you realize that you are alive. Jack's instructor had once told him, he recalled it. The car stopped and a short time later the trunk lid was unlocked. Jack squinted as his sensitive eyes were now used to the darkness and the sun was considered too bright.

He heard voices talking and the first names fell. One listens to the name of Adam and the other one was called Paul. Now all he had to do was to sort out the faces that belonged to the names. Roughly, Jack was helped off his small momentary prison. He looked around and found that they were somewhere in a forest.

It still had to be the Rocky Mountains because there was a cave in front of him into which he was now shoved. The colonel had no idea how long he walked or stumbled into the mountain. His thoughts flew to Sam. He hoped so much that she had made it and got help. She was so much smarter than himself and he was happy in his own special way that he had managed to swap her.

The way became lower and much narrower. Jack began to duck a bit, which his ribs did not like at all and he yelped. His hostage-taker had no understanding for that and pushed him roughly forward. They now reached another part of the cave and this new section looked quite large. Jack glanced around and observed his surroundings. He saw a waterfall to his left which ended in a lake.

Loose rock to his right. He had also noticed that the men were probably here more often or for a while already here because he could recognize iron chains. Perfect for binding someone and keeping him from escaping. Jack was pushed in the direction of the chains and he lost his footing through the loose rocks under his feet. The scream followed instantly and echoed back from the walls again and drove his tormentor to have a grin on his face.

Jack was put first only on one iron chain. It was probably thought that it was enough to give a Colonel of the USAF only an ankle bracelet. Jack did not move, he waited until he had been left alone, to make himself a bit more comfortable, whatever you could call cozy in this cave. His ribs hurt and burned as if someone had lit a hell fire in it. His shoulder felt hot now; Jack would not be surprised if he had an infection there


	2. Chapter 2

Warning! This chapter is Jack whumping, if you don't like reading about it, please don't read it. Thank you for all the kind reviews. Meaning a lot to me. So, enjoy the next chapter… A massive thank you to my Beta Bettie. You are the best Hun…

Jack moved now. Since he heard nothing more, he assumed that he was alone. Carefully, he opened his eyes and continued to look around. The sound of the water had something soothing in it even if he could not see anything without a lamp.

Jack realized that it was pitch black and they had not even let stay with a light. He did not know how far he was from the lake and if he would manage to crawl there to at least wash his wound and drink something. Jack was scared. He could deal with many things; God knows what he suffered through his whole military life but the fact that he could not see anything made him panic a bit.

Sam woke up and after a check on her watch she realized that she was unconscious for over an hour. At this hour, the criminals could be anywhere else with the Colonel. She had memorized the license plate and said it repeatedly so that she could not forget it. Sam had struggled to her feet and started walking back to civilization. She felt thirsty and her thoughts circled around the Colonel.

Why had he done such a stupid thing? Why did he always have to play the hero? She asked herself so many questions although she knew exactly the answer. He was her CO. His sense of responsibility towards her and each of his team members was so high that if he could prevent it he did everything to get his team out of harm's way and if that did not work out he did everything in his power to find his kids and take them home.

He was Jack O'Neill, a USAF officer who had as much honor as she ever would have imagined. Nobody stayed behind with him. And that was what she had admired about him. Yes, Jack sometimes had a loose mouth and liked to provoke his enemies, but that was his way of dealing with difficult situations. He makes jokes to cheer up the mood and always has a loose saying in stock.

Sam remembered when they were trapped in the ice in Antarctica not far from McMurdo and he made suggestions as how to set it up there. He had told her then that they could do it and it took them a while until she believed him. But since that adventure, she had not ever doubted the word of her superior again.

Jack saw a beam of light reflected on the ceiling. He would probably get the same visit. He only hoped that it was not his special friend. The rest seemed ok and left him alone. All he had to do was beware of the one crappy guy and right now he did not feel that God was strong enough to take on the fight. Jack saw in the dim beam that a rock was behind him. He slowly backed up and leaned against it. It was good for him to sit upright and in this position, he waited for the end of him.

A young man stepped into this present home of Jack and found that he had not even gotten his shackles off his hands. Slightly timidly, the young man approached Jack and watched the battered man in front of him. "Well, would you like to have your hands free?" Asked the boy after a while. Jack was too tired to even lift his head, so he simply smiled and replied with a softly spoken yes.

Immediately he felt how he was leaning forward and got the pressure on his wrists. His arms fell to the side and the boy who had just helped him leaned Jack carefully back against the stone. "Sir, it's not much I can do for you, but I brought a small bowl here. You must drink something. The lake Jack had seen at the beginning was only a few inches away from him, so the boy had felt some water in the bowl and held it to his lips.

In small gulps Jack enjoyed the cool liquid. Only when the bowl was empty did the boy leave his captive alone, hoping the Colonel had a strong will if he wanted to survive this. Jack closed his eyes again and gave himself away to the abyss of the darkness that started to surround him. The kindness he had just learned warmed his heart and he thought to himself that not all of them were so cold-hearted and they had just brutally targeted an officer of the USAF.

Sam had reached the main road after a long hike and was now walking along it. Now, she would even be hitchhiking to get to her destination faster. She had to rescue Jack. She knew how bad he was injured and that he would not last long. Time was running against her. Out of the blue, a car came and drove in the same direction that she was going to. She kept her thumb in the wind and the driver stopped.

"Thanks for stopping. My name is Major Samantha Carter. Is it possible for you to take me to the next town? This is literally a matter about life and death. "In a firm voice, she had put her request to the man in front of her who did not hesitate for a second and cleared his passenger seat and let her get on board.

"My name is Adrian; the nearest town is only a few miles away. Shall I drop you off by the police if it's so urgent? "The driver replied, setting his vehicle in motion.

"This would be brilliant, many thanks." Exhausted, Sam leaned back in the seat and closed her eyes. She did not sleep, just rested her eyes and paid close attention to all the noises around her. Adrian had seen how exhausted the Major was in his passenger seat and had decided against it to start a conversation.

He cleared his throat when they arrived in front of the police station and asked if he could help any further. Sam thanked him and with a warm smile she declined any more help but assured him that he was a tremendous help to her. With a few steps she entered the old building in front of her. She did not spend much time looking for an officer. Even if it was rather a small town, there worked at least five police guys at the present time.

She went to the counter and asked for a long talk with the station manager. From experience she knew that only with the leader there would not be so many problems and she did not have to explain everything twice or three times.

Jack did not know how long he had slept, but when he woke up, he felt himself shaking all over. The cave was damp and cold. The memories came back to him and he hoped so much that Sam had succeeded in her mission to notify anyone.

The noise of steps traveled to his ear. He listened and hoped that it was the nice guy from before. He had no strength to defend against anyone who wanted to torture him. The ceiling was first illuminated until the flashlight spread over the entire interior. Jack recognized a well-built older man and hoped that this was not his special friend, who was so much after him.

Here in the hole, no one had any more masks on which Jack concluded that they would not let him go by any chance. No, these men wanted to inflict agony and pain on him if his weakened body could endure it. Grinning, the older man stood in front of him and looked at the heap in front of him. Jack gave him a miserable picture.

"How are you doing? Hungry? "In a smoky voice he asked two precise questions without further ado, to which he immediately expected an answer. Jack tried to focus his attention on the figure and with his clattering teeth he replied, "I'm fine and yes I'm hungry" His opponent began to grin again and knelt next to Jack.

He looked at the Colonel a little more closely and without warning he grabbed him by his sweater collar. With this abrupt action, Jack was caught off guard and groaned in pain. That seemed to please the older man. He lifted Jack a few inches into the air and threw him in the direction of the lake. Headfirst, the colonel landed in the lake and struggled to get his head again over the water.

His tormentor was already above him. With an iron grip, he pulled Jack up by his hair, causing him to scream. His sweater was now completely soaked, and it would not be long before his jeans did the same. He coughed and tried to get his arms under his torso to support himself better.

His opponent had noticed that and kicked his arms away with his feet. Then he let go of the Colonel's hair, which ended with Jack again under water, this time he felt a knee between his shoulder blades which pressed him down. Jack tried to hold his breath for as long as possible and on his best days he had probably done more than 2 minutes, but today was not such a day.

Jack tried to fight back with all the strength he could find anywhere in him. With one last stroke of strength, he managed to push his adversary from him and desperately he breathed the necessary oxygen. His breathing was so fast that he had to be careful not to panic and then hyperventilate.

He knew that would be the end. `been there, done that, got the fucking t-shirt' he thought to himself. With an ugly laugh and another kick for good measure, the hostage-taker let go of him and disappeared again. Slowly and panting, Jack crawled out of the water. If he was not careful, he would probably get pneumonia. He leaned against his stone again and tried once more to bring his breathing under control.

The effort and the withdrawal of oxygen made his breath sound more like a steam train than the breathing of an adult man. Slowly, the Colonel calmed down, realizing how much his stomach was rebelling against the fact that he had nothing nutritious all day.

Since it was his special friend who asked him if he was hungry, Jack did not expect that he would get anything today. He did not even know how to dry himself off. But he knew he could not stay in the wet clothes. So, he started in the dark to get rid of his sweater and then his pants. He did not believe that he would again be disturbed today. Almost naked, he now leaned against his stone and was glad to be caught by the black fingers of darkness.

When Jack awoke, he felt miserable. The blood loss coupled with the torment left its mark. He shifted slightly to allow his stiff limbs a better blood circulation. With his good hand, he wiped many pebbles aside until he felt bare stone underneath and he laid himself down, pulling his legs up as far as it goes to his chest and embracing it with his arms. He had checked his clothes, but they were still wet and so he couldn't put them on. His teeth clattered and eventually Jack lost consciousness again.

Sam had spent the longest time arguing with the man of the law and tried to explain what was going on. Now she was about ready to send her interlocutor to the desert and just call General Hammond of the SGC. But since both were not on duty, the police had the right of prerogative and Sam had to play by their rules.

"So Major, again from scratch" the Sheriff just wanted to be sure that he really understood was this woman in front of him was telling as Sam went up through the ceiling.

"No, not again, I've told you tens of millions of times. Every minute you waste here, my supervisor's chances of survival drops." Sam blushed in her face and just managed to get herself together again before she completely lost control over herself and she knew as an officer of the Air Force she could not do this. But enough was enough and her rage exploded.

She stormed out of the building and took a deep breath before she fumbled her cell phone out of her pocket and did what she should have done from the start. She called the General. Her anger escalated so much that Sam threatened to lose control. She let one or two tears run wild. She worried so much about Jack and felt let down by the local authorities.

Jack woke as he heard footsteps again. Not long after, the same old guy, who had last paid him a visit, was standing right in front of him. Jack did not move but his eyes followed every step. He heard a Zippo snap and the rubbing from metal on metal to light a flame. Shortly afterwards, cigar smoke got into his nose.

Not that Jack had anything against it. He liked the smell. Jack's master was walking slowly around him so that the Colonel could not see him anymore. O'Neill did not want to know what was coming and closed his eyes. He did not care. At that moment, he felt something hot glowing on his skin which spanned over his ribs.

Again, and again in different places but still close to each other Jack felt round burns of his skin. This bastard imprinted his cigar on him. Jack moaned softly, hoping he would soon have his peace and freedom again to turn to his fresh wounds. Again, and again he listened to the Zippo sound and again and again the cigar was lit. Slowly, Jack wondered what that perverted pig was.

If he had had the strength he would have long since jumped his torturer's throat and overwhelmed him. He wondered how it came that this man hated the Air Force so much. Jack could not endure the pain at the end and lost consciousness. Should the guy kill him anyway. That did not matter. The main thing was Carter was safe. Yes, she was worth saving. He was just an old, squeamish soldier who talked with sarcastic slogans.

Hammond had sent an Airman in order to fetch the Major. He could not quite understand on the phone what she told him because she spoke too fast and the connection here in the mountains was not the best.

When Carter sat a short time later in the office of her supervisor and had told him everything, he sat in silence for a second. That was so typical Jack to always throw himself in the line of fire to protect others. He called a few of his computer geeks; Carter gave them the license plate and so they went looking for the car to locate.

**Some days later**

"Sir, you called me?" Sam stepped into the office's light.

"Major, I am very sorry but so far we have not achieved a result. We monitor every street and every corner. I even sent drones over the Rockys. Nothing. The we are looking for, is as if swallowed from the ground of the earth. We do not even know if they stayed here in the area. They could be elsewhere. I am very sorry, but I can`t keep the search going for very much longer. If we do not find Jack soon, it will look bad for him. That's all Major. Dismissed." to allow no further discussion, Hammond devoted himself again to his files and reports.

Sam wanted to say something but knew that the General had set his mind. She knew how hard it had to be. Slowly, she went back to her lab to continue pondering. She had set up a corner with a precisely detailed Map that represented the mountains. She tried now to find out where the crooks could have hidden with Jack.

Sam could not imagine that the four were driving very far with a wounded hostage. `Jack, please hold on. I am coming; I do not know how long it will take, but please hold on. ` She implored her CO in thought.

Jack finally had his jeans and sweater on for the last two days because it had taken so long until they were half dry. The young man from the beginning had occasionally brought him something to eat and saw how cold Jack was. He did not know what was going to happen to the prisoner and he did not want to know, but he wanted to make his life a little easier.

In this case if it is a blanket, then so be it. Very often it is so. Jack had often been left alone for the last few days. His tormentor was rarely visiting him and so Jack had the opportunity to gain some strength which was almost an impossibility with the few calorie intakes he had. Often, the Colonel had the feeling that he was forgotten and so it was no wonder that he lost more and more weight.

His body showed scars and cuts everywhere. Some cuts were made by the older man who just wanted to see what it takes to get Jack to scream. So far, he had not done it again. Just at the beginning but since then he remained mute. The captive on the iron chain had a strong will, but he knew he was going to break it.

Everybody has a breaking point. You just had to find it. He had found this point when he remembered the wallet. The old man rummaged through every single card and every single compartment till he found what he was looking for.

Jack was nestled in his clothes in the blanket on the bare rocks, ignoring the pain in his limbs as much as he could bear. He heard footsteps again and his eyes focused on the passage while he hoped it was not the old man again. His luck was not going for him today. This time he even had something in his hand.

With a big grin, the old man now stood in front of Jack and pulled him up on his right shoulder. Jack obeyed decently as this shoulder had not healed properly and it was causing him great pain. As he stood in full length before his grinning tyrant this ogre gave Jack a fully blown punch in the stomach.

The Colonel dropped to his knee, holding his abdomen while convincing himself there is not enough pain to scream. His face was consumed with pain. He coughed and groaned, but he did not scream. That was the only thing he had left over what he had control and he did not want to take this little action.

His head was pulled backwards harshly by his hair and breathing became difficult at first. Wide-eyed, Jack now realized what he had previously seen from far away in the man's hand. Jack got tears in his eyes. This pig had a picture of Charlie in his hand. His photo was from his purse and these dirty fingers draped around his photo. That was his. Anger rose in Jack and he thought for a moment whether he should dare to overpower his opponent or whether he should continue to give in in small ways.

He decided to fight, though he did not know yet how to get out of his ankle bracelet. Everything he ever wanted was a fair chance to fight. With full force he jumped against the grinning man, who did not know for the first moment what had happened to him. He staggered back and Jack fell brutally to the floor.

Driven by anger and the naked will of peace, he immediately jumped up again and threw his opponent a left and then a right in his face. So, involved in the fight and feeling confident that he had a chance, he did not notice that one of his comrades came from behind.

Jack just hit his head hard before he collapsed and fell unconscious. Breathing heavily, the older man gathered his thought and grinned at his buddy who had just helped him and was now unpacking a cable binder, asking with a wry grin if he wanted to make use of it.

Of course, this sadist wanted to use it. He tied both feet together and both hands behind Jack's back, regardless of any loss or pain the Colonel could suffer. For him, it was only about the greatest possible pain to torment without killing his victim.

When all his limbs were tied, he linked them together behind the Colonel's back. Even from the look it looked painful and uncomfortable. They then let him lie right on the spot where Jack fell unconscious.

It was not too long before Jack regained some of his senses. Somewhat disoriented, he quickly realized that he could no longer move. This bastard had taken this kind of freedom now as well. But he was not going to scream. Nothing in the world will make Colonel Jack O'Neill do something he does not want.

He could still move his head and looked around the cave. He had been given a permanent light since yesterday. So, he finally could see something. The pain increased every minute. His body lay so unfavorably on the small pointed stones that stabbed them into his tender flesh. The gravity and weight of his body then took care of the rest. He felt weak again; he felt that his infection, which he had in his shoulder, was still there. He had only learned to handle it and to displace the feeling of weakness when necessary.


	3. Chapter 3

Next Chapter is here already, for all who likes to have it done and over with, The man gets found..., thanks for reviews and for readers who cant wait and hope there is more to this story, please guys be patient. I know where i like to go with this story and i promise it will work out at the end. Got it up to chapter 5 right now. So have fun and all kinds of reviews are welcome (so long there are nice written) :)

* * *

Jack was about to give up, to surrender to everything and just stop listening. He closed his eyes and decided not to stop them. Should they do what they wanted with his body, his spirit will never be able to break.

It was not too long before the Colonel got company again. The same idiot from earlier had now joined him. Jack recognized it by the penetrating smell that always surrounds him. The eyes remained closed. The first blow occurs against his chest followed by a second and third.

His tyrant was suddenly against everything that belonged to Jack: joints, bones and muscle meat; anything that could hurt the flyboy on the ground in any way. Jack had switched mentally. He made no sound and he did not open his eyes anymore. Nobody could hurt him in his little world where he was now spiritually. Too many walls were built around it.

* * *

Sam had not slept the last two days. She had narrowed down the area where she suspected the criminals were hiding with Jack. Based on the many road cameras this was possible. She noticed where the car was and where it should not have been and where it should have been, but it did not show up. Sam then calculated the circumference and then compared it to a map showing the caves that were in the mountains.

There were only three caves in the specified area, and she knew that they were not searched before. Excited, she ran to the General to make her latest discovery. He had not stopped the search yet and she worked feverishly on a solution. She just hoped Jack was still alive.

A few minutes later, she stood in the briefing room with Daniel, Teal'c and the General, explaining how she came up with it and pleading with her superior to investigate. If she was right, they would find Jack. Hammond himself did not show his excitement.

But he wanted to be able to embrace his major for this idea. Factually, as he was, he ordered the launch of a drone to fly over the said area with the three possible picks, and if one was to discover the car at that, he would, without hesitation, put together a rescue team.

It took about half an hour until the drone was ready and it was for Sam a half an hour too much. She had seen the start and now watched the flight over a monitor in the control room very closely. The first hollow was already over flown, but there was nothing to discover there, so it had been a few minutes later with the second cave. Now they approached the third cave, but even there you could see nothing in the overflight. Resigned, Sam dropped her eyes. Her entire hope lay in front of her like fragments at that moment.

It was Daniel who had insisted that they fly over it again but this time from another direction. He noticed something on the surface of the earth that did not really fit. Dozens of pairs of eyes stared at the screen. You could have heard a pin drop so tense and quiet it was. If you did not know better, you would have thought that even the machines stopped their sounds and literally held their breath.

"There, did you see that too?" Daniel pointed wildly at the screen. No one could see anything at this moment because his hand was in front of it. He ordered the Airman responsible for the tape to rise and stop something when he said it. It was not long before everyone saw what Dr. Jackson had been seeing all the time.

A black dot that was barely taken was visible. When zooming in it turned out that it was the fender of the searched car. Covered with a plane you could not really see the car from the bird's eye view. A rescue team was put together and Sam Carter had been announced as leader of all teams. Nevertheless, it took a long time until they reached the area with the desired cave.

The well-rehearsed teams of the elite soldiers of Cheyenne Mountain surrounded the entire parameter in a few steps. Quietly, understanding only with a show of hands, they moved themselves step by step through the hollow entrance.

The fight Itself did not last long, and three of the four criminals had been arrested. They were missing one more. Sam saw a shadow in the darkness and made her way over in a few steps. She had discovered the passage to the second chamber and followed it now. She had not given up hope of finding the Colonel alive.

The Major knew how stubborn he could be and how superhumanly he clung to his life for a long time. Carefully, she entered the second chamber. Through her flashlight, she realized quite well how it looked here and saw a body that lay by the lake. There was no one else around. Carefully, Sam made her way and hesitantly stretched out her fingers. She had already recognized from a few feet away that it was the motionless body of her CO.

Carefully she touches his neck for a pulse. She took a deep breath as she found one. It was very weak, but it was there. Using her knife, she cut the Colonel's shackles and gently turned him over. His eyes were closed. His face was barely recognizable as his own. His sweater hung down on him more in rips than she could remember as a piece of clothing. She gently stroked his hair and called his name.

He did not respond. She tried two more times, but nothing happened. It was not until she addressed him as a Colonel with a firm military command, that he opened his eyes. Sparkling blue eyes looked in dull brown ones. He tried to smile at her, which ended in a grimace. "Sam, you have found me," he stated in a low and exhausted voice.

"Yes, sir. We found you." She was still stroking his hair soothingly to make him realize it was not a dream.

"Sam, are you getting the lock on my ankle?" He pointed down at the same time. Sam examined her mission for a moment and did not hesitate after that. A few seconds later the problem was solved.

"Sir, can you walk?" Sam asked worriedly.

"I will do it with your help. Help me up please," he requested. As soon as he stood and had leaned on her, his best friend came from God knows where. He stood still for a moment and could hardly believe what he saw in front of him. "Flyboy wanted to fly." He grunts. That was not right. But first he had to clear the blonde out of the way and then he could take care of his captive again. He aimed at Sam and pulled the trigger.

Sam jumped in shock and searched in vain for the pain of the hit. It never came. Instead, now her CO lay unconscious at her feet. Mindfully, Sam drew her own weapon and fired a full magazine into the criminal's body.

Sam knelt and tried to locate the gunshot wound. She could not believe that Jack had once again saved her life. Frightening, she realized that the bullet entered near the heart had found its mark. Suppressing her tears, she pleaded Jack to fight.

She could not lose him. She had just found him. By the volume of the shots the other comrades were attracted and in the blink of an eye the Colonel's gunshot wound had been provided with a few bandages while vest and jackets made a kind of carrying stretcher.

By the quickest route possible, Jack had been taken to the Infirmary at SGC. There was already the doctor team with Janet Fraiser ready to push the patient immediately in the OR. Everything they knew had already been communicated via radio and so there were many preparations and blood products ready as soon as the Colonel was under the knife.

Sam sat on the floor in front of the infirmary all the time. Daniel and Teal`c had tried to change her mind so she could at least get refreshed. She had refused it all. She wanted to be as close as possible to Jack, her knight in shining armor. Because of her he was now in there. Because she did not pull her gun in time. It was her who was not careful enough. He had trusted her.

It had been several hours now and with every passing minute, Carter feared more for her supervisor, for the person who meant the most to her. The person she secretly loved and could never claim for herself. More minutes passed and when the door was pushed open, Sam was almost frightened to death.

She jumped up from the floor when Daniel and Teal`c joined her. She looked her friend Janet in the eye and the doctor did not hesitate and made a short report to inform the rest of SG1 about their leader.

"It was close, too close for my taste. We struggled to remove the bullet that had a tiny fragment off a metal splinter and hit the heart. Colonel O'Neill's heart had stopped beating for over five minutes, which is a very long time and already reaches the limits where you can expect a slight brain damage. But we will not be able to say if this will happen until he regains consciousness. He has slipped into a coma due to the many blood and oxygen losses. He will have to lie in intensive care for some time and need as much rest as possible. That would be all for now. "Janet said goodbye and went back to the infirmary to check on her patient.

Sam sat quietly next to her supervisor and held his hand. When she talked to him, it was very soft. But she insisted she let him know she was there. She knew that he saw his team as his family and if someone was not feeling well the family was the best there was for a quick recovery. She looked at the monitors, which beeped in the same rhythm. For hours already they indicated the same lines. There was no change. Sam grinned at the thought of how her Colonel would freak out if he could see himself like this.

All too well she knew how much he hated to be here with all the attention he got and the many needles. She looked back at his face, lean, sunken in and ill looking. Janet had noted in her official report that he was dangerously underweight and slowly had to be nursed back to health again. She had read his report.

Among the injuries were three broken ribs, two bullet wounds, numerous abrasions, cuts, burns and a squeezed kidney. After reading such a list Carter had to ask herself how he managed to come back again and again. But if one can do it, it would be the Colonel. Sam was proud to be his 2IC. So far, she had learned a lot from him: many tactical moves and gimmicks that only Jack O`Neill knew and he taught only her.

Daniel and Teal`c came over from time to time to inquire. By now, three weeks had passed and there was still no change. Sam was exhausted. She had strictly refused to leave him alone and then had rather slept on his bedside with her head - sometimes in a chair just because she was afraid, she could miss the moment in which he wakes up.

Doctor Fraiser stepped into the darkened room where the Colonel was lying and looked at the clip board attached to his bedside. Sam was dozing with her head down on her chest. She looked up when she saw her friend and quietly asked if there was any news.

"I can`t tell you anything new. I only know that in the state in which he was admitted, his body has gone through a lot. Normally people stay in a coma until the body has healed enough to handle the rest. The trauma must have been quite severe in his case. "The doc looked now to the motionless body of her patient and wished the time where here already, when he would annoy someone again that he wanted to go home where he was so much better off to recover himself.

"Sam, talk to him. You are close friends. Your voice may help him. Only he can manage to get out of it himself. But you can still try to lend him a hand." With that, she cheerfully put a hand on the major's shoulder and squeezed it slightly. Then she left the room. In her office she updated the results in the Colonel`s file on her computer.

Sam moved closer to her friend stroking the back of his hand with her thumb and talking quietly with her CO. She talked about her family and about some of the missions that just happened recently and came to her mind. She explained to him all sorts of things to do with astrophysics and consciously used foreign words as much as possible to where she knew he was going to interrupt her because he had no idea what she was talking about.

Sam smiled across her face as she introduced herself to the memory of the Colonel who in his own unique way could shut her up. Shocked, she suddenly stared at her friend. She had felt a twitch in her hand that did not come from her.

"Colonel?" She spoke to him and began to give him courage that he finally managed to wake up after such a long time. She noticed how his eyelids twitched. She pressed the alarm button that belonged to his bed to inform the medical staff. A few seconds later, the door was already open and a breathless Doctor Fraiser stood in the room.

"He's moving, Janet, he's coming to." It bubbled out of the Major. Janet watched the monitors and could see that the rhythm of the heartbeat had changed slightly.

The long-awaited moment had come. Colonel Jack O'Neill opened his eyes and stared at the ceiling. He seemed a bit disoriented. Sam could see how he slowly came back to reality and began to focus. He turned his head slightly and looked into the blue eyes of his 2IC. "That's good, Jack. You did it. "Sam could have hugged the whole world at that moment.

She had used his name. At that moment, there was nothing better for Jack than to wake up and see her in front of him. As she pronounced his name, there was something sweet about it.

He felt even more stimulated and opened his mouth "Sam" he whispered and that was all he got out of it. His throat felt like sandpaper and his body gave him the impression of being rolled over by a truck.

"It's OK. Save your strength. You are in the infirmary and nothing is going to happen to you anymore. You just must get well soon. "She stroked him on his hand with hers again and headed out his room. Jack had closed his eyes again and escaped to the land of dreams.

Janet was also done with her examinations and left Jack in his room just to find a waiting Major standing outside.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

"And? He'll be ok again, right? "Sam could not wait to hear the latest updates on her CO's health.

"Sam, calm down. He went through a lot and lost a lot of blood. He will be just fine again without consequential damage. But it will take a while. You can certainly help him with that if. You know him and know what he needs. But right now, he just needs as much rest as possible. He'll get on our nerves soon enough. "Janet told her friend and smiled reassuringly.

"Can I see him again?" Sam began to relax; which Janet has recognized with relief.

"Yes, but only for 5 minutes. The Colonel needs rest." with that the Doctor went to her office.

Sam returned to the darkened room where Jack laid. For a moment she just watched him. He looked different. His face was not so sunken in anymore; now it almost looked peaceful. She could not interpret it exactly, but she liked it.

* * *

In her lab, Sam tried to concentrate on her tasks. SG5 had brought a device back from one of the missions and she was asked to find out what it was good for. A smile crossed her face as she pictured the Colonel as he would look at it. Dreamily she saw over her table and could see him standing there. Bored to the bones not knowing what to do with himself, he always referred to their technical devices as Dohickis. The word alone was already so typical Jack. She shook her head and Jack disappeared. She had a task ahead of her and needed to focus on it.

Over the loudspeaker she heard a voice calling for her and summoning her to the general's office. Immediately Sam left everything standing and lying where it was, locked the lab and was on her way. Still so glad for not having to continue working here. Sometimes the lab just became too small for her.

The major knocked on the door of her supervisor and waited for the ok to enter. She did not have to wait long, as usual. "General? You wanted to see me? "She announced with a slightly questioning look.

"Major, yes, have a seat." He waved his outstretched arm into the empty chair in front of her. "I just got a call from the police. It's about another testimony from you. They asked that whenever you got the time to just drive by for a quick statement. "He cleared his throat and before Sam could have said something he continued," Sam, how are you? "His eyes seemed worried as he asked the question. That was something she liked about her General. He was not so hard-boiled, but rather caring for his staff like a father figure.

"I'm fine. I'm just worried about the Colonel. "she answered him with a thin smile. "Would that be all, Sir?" Carter got up and left the office when she saw his nod.

On the way back to her lab she ran into Daniel who had his nose stuck in a report, obviously more interesting than the environment he was in. "Sorry, Sam," he murmured and had gone further. "Daniel, wait." She followed him. "Would you like something to eat for lunch later on?" He looked up from his report and looked at his watch.

"Yeah, how about in 45 minutes then it's 1300. Ok for you? I just have to finish this "and with that he was already gone. Sam watched him go and shook her head slightly. `At least one who can concentrate, 'she thought to herself and went the other way to her lab.

* * *

A slight hum woke him up. Eyes still closed; Jack tried to recall where he was. It felt soft under his body, and the smell in his nose smelled of disinfectant and medication. `oy, ` he groaned in his head. The nail he had in there had not disappeared yet, and after a quick check up of his body, he noticed that he had less pain than before.

`Janet must have given me painkillers. How nice. `he thought to himself and decided to open his eyes. This was more difficult than he expected at first. For him, it felt as if someone was holding his eyelids shut. Only after several attempts he finally succeeded. He looked around and was glad of the dim light. Normally it was always so bright, and his sensitive eyes did not like it.

He frowned slightly. `Nobody is sitting by my bed watching over me? What about my team? They always waited by my bed as I do with them. Am I worth so little to them now? `Jack wondered but pushed that thought fast out of his mind. No, there had to be another reason why no one was here. He wondered if he should ring the bell to get someone's attention.

Although it might have been right, Jack decided against pressing the bell. He enjoyed the silence, and no one fumbled around him. Slowly he closed his eyes again. He could not sleep but relaxed a little.

* * *

Sam had done a lot in the 45 minutes and waited in the canteen for her friend. He came running shortly after she had arrived. "Any news on Jack?" Daniel asked his teammate and friend without much ado. "Not since this morning. I had talked to Janet and she said that he needs rest but probably gets well very soon. You know the Colonel. He can't stay in bed for too long anyway. I would have loved to stay with him much longer, but he opened his eyes for a moment and there was no reason to stay with him after that. Just like yours, my work does not work on its own. "She gave him a smiling answer.

With a tray full of snacks and drinks, both sought a table in a quiet corner. "Do you know where Teal`c is gone? Have not seen him for a few days. "Sam stated as she realized that she missed her big Jaffa friend. "After hearing that SG1 is on Downtime he had talked to the General. He went to Chulak with permission to visit his son there. " Daniel let the Major know. Without another word, the two friends finished their lunch and went their own way. Everyone had their own thoughts.

* * *

On the way home, the Major stopped by the police and answered a few questions that had arisen over the last few hours.

When she got home it was already quite late. She grinned as she remembered the Colonel's weary but mischievous look after she had seen him before she left. He had assured her that he was fine and that she should not worry about him. `Yeah Jack, as if that was so easy that I would not worry about you. `Sam sighed and wished again that they were not in the direct chain of command and the regulations where not in the way.

`It's like it is. So at least I see him almost every day and his smile. Oh, Gosh such a beautiful smile. Oh, Jack` she was now sitting on her sofa with an open bottle of red wine and saw her superior in her mind's eye, smiling at her. She remembered the time back when they had the short talk in his house, and he told her how much she was worth and told her that she was a national treasure. She wanted to tell him what she felt for him then. But both had been on tiptoe and did not know exactly what to say.

* * *

Three weeks later

"Doc, when can I finally get up? I'm bored to death here. If you want to kill me with boredom over the time you would not have to fix me up. "Jack was in one of his moods and shouting as loud as he could in the hope that Janet would hear him. His recovery, over the last few weeks, went without further incident. He had been visited by Daniel and Sam every day and even by Teal`c over the last two days. He would love to go home where he could lie on his couch and at least watch a hockey game or the Simpsons.

Resigned, Jack closed his eyes and tried to shut out his environment. If nobody wanted to send him home, he did not want to see anyone. Yes, the Colonel could sometimes behave like a little stubborn kid.

Only when he felt the presence of a body near him did he blink with one eye. Carter was back. She was still his favorite visit all by herself. He loved to look into her blue eyes and feel her soft skin surrounding her hands. "I hope I did not wake you, Sir," the Major said in an alarming voice as she was about to sit down and was taken aback a little as he looked at her with one eye.

"Nah, I was awake. I'm just bored and that's why I let my thoughts run wild. How are you, Carter? " He grinned at her and wiped the invisible words he had just used with his hand out of his way. She was there and there was no need to talk about him.

"Good, a lot to do. I will not torture you with technobabble. But I figured you're bored now and brought you something. "She grinned at him as wide as she could, and Jack sat up in bed. Curious, he watched as his 2IC pulled out a bag.

He registered with big eyes what she had brought him from home and accepted it. "Where do you have the key to my house, Carter? And how did you come up with the idea? " Receiving his Gameboy in both hands like a little boy who had just found a giant treasure, he grinned from ear to ear.

"Daniel helped me. You once gave him your replacement key for emergencies. That was such an emergency for me. "She shrugged but knew exactly how much she had given him pleasure with his little toy.

"Did the doctor already gave you a date when you can get out of here?" Sam asked as casually as possible.

"Nope, nothing, Nada. Nobody talks to anyone here and they all stay away. No one comes to visit or just look how I am. "Jack replied with a fake pout. Sam grinned and wondered if she should say something or not.

Both officers talked for a while, so time flew by.

Janet entered the room where Colonel O'Neill lay and greeted her most impatient patient she ever had. After reviewing the clipboard, she turned directly to Jack to inquire about his well-being. "How are we today, Colonel?" "Bored to the bone Doc. I tell you; I can go home. I'm fine, "he replied so quickly that he almost interrupted her. "Ok," his values look good enough to set him off "tomorrow, Sir. But as always, I'll give you a list of what you must do and don't do. Understood?" She looked at him penetratingly and said goodbye only when Jack had agreed to their condition.

"Sam, I tell you; she enjoys the power she has here over me. I see it in her eyes, "he turned to the Major, who was only a silent observer the whole time. She smiled at her CO and agreed to make him feel better. She knew just how hard it was for him to be here and not to do anything.

* * *

The next day came and Daniel had offered Jack to accompany him home. According to Doctor Fraiser, the Colonel was not yet allowed to drive himself, so he accepted Daniel's help with thanks.

When he got home, Jack went first to his answering machine. Three messages were there from the police telling him to get in touch with them. Jack whistled through his teeth and shook his head. These law enforcers also have no idea how he felt the last few weeks.

"Daniel? Coffee? "O'Neill asked his friend, already knowing the answer. Before he got a response, he had already started the machine and got two cups from the cupboard. He did recognize how neat and tidy it looked here. Someone had cleaned up for him. Someone who knew how much he hated disorder when he came home after such a long time. Jack knew that he had the best friends one could wish for.

His friend had taken some stuff out of his car and put them on the kitchen table. Gratefully, he took the cup of black fragrant brew and sat on a stool Jack offered him. A casual informal conversation ensued, and Jack realized that Daniel did not seem in a hurry to get back to the lab to his rocks. He did not mind that his young friend still gave him company and so he omitted a stupid comment about it. Instead, he just enjoyed the conversation.

After Daniel finally left, he phoned the police to make an appointment and get it over and done with. He had a polite lady on the phone who had given him an appointment for the next morning. When he hung up, he went upstairs with the little bag Daniel had left in the kitchen and stowed his things away. Most of them were in the bathroom ready for cleaning.

Back in the living room, in his well-worn favorite sweater and sloppy pants, he lay down on the couch and turned on the TV. Daniel had proudly told him that he had recorded every episode of Simpson and every hockey game for him.

It was already dark outside, and it was not long before Jack fell asleep. Restless dreams returned. Every night, when he slept, he was back in the cave where he had been chained. The day when he was awake, he repressed it and pretended to be the happy and sarcastic Colonel he was. He did not want to and could not talk to somebody about what had gotten so deep in his head.

Jack would handle it like anything he had experienced before. Drawer up, experience inside, drawer closed and forgotten. That had worked very well with him so far and he was thankful for having that ability. He did not want to burden anyone with his problems. Not even himself.

He woke up in the middle of the night. Sweat bathing, his breathing was fast, and his pulse was as if he wanted to win a race. Jack sat up after he had registered where he was, and wiped his face with his right hand. A look at the clock told him that it was just around 0300 in the morning.

He still had six hours till he had to attend his appointment. Slowly his pulse and breathing calmed down again and for a moment Jack wondered if he should get a beer from his fridge or not. He knew that Janet had forbidden him and so he decided against it. The thought of a cool blonde was still so tempting.

His alarm clock awoke him at 0800 and when Jack arrived back in the land of the living, he realized that he had fallen asleep at some point. He looked down at himself, only to find that he had slept with nothing around his upper body on his sofa only with a thin blanket over it. Irritated, he looked around and when he discovered his still damp sweater in a corner, he remembered the nocturnal interruption.

Jack turned off the engine and looked at the main entrance to the police station. After a quick breakfast consisting of fruit loops and coffee he had shaved and made his way. Taking a deep breath, O'Neill got out and made his way to the reception desk in long strides. He was immediately provided with an official who took in everything the Colonel had to record. Every now and then questions were asked and now and then little breaks were taken. Jack could not finish that task quickly enough and was ever so happy when he could leave.

He preferred to drive to work, just to not stay home alone. But it was not good to turn up at the mountain just after he was released. So, he drove to a nearby park, sat on a park bench and enjoyed the warm temperatures. The fresh air and the birds twittering conveyed a perfect world and that was exactly what Jack needed right now. He watched children playing and people doing their fitness exercises.

* * *

Sam worked in her office. She still had a lot to do to cope with her current project but had firmly planned to drive past her CO's house in the evening. She knew that he would be pleased about company even if she already knew that he never admitted it. She grinned when she saw Jack in her mind's eye, grumpy and addressing her with Carter. It was still worth a shot.

The next time the Major looked at the clock, it was nearly 1800. She packed everything and was just about to leave the lab and base when Daniel came around the corner with Teal'c in tow. "Sam, hey, what are your plans tonight? Not that it really concerns me, but we wanted to pass by Jack so that he is not alone. Teal'c also picked out a movie. Will you come with me?" Without waiting for an answer, it gushed out of Daniel and in his typical boyish manner as he waits impatiently until his team colleague and friend answered.

"Great Daniel, I also had the idea and just wanted to go to your lab. That's how it works out. Great. I will just change my clothes and we can go. "

They met about 15 minutes later in the parking lot of the secret base as agreed. Teal`c drove with Daniel and Sam took her car so that she could drive home from Jack to her home.

Daniel pressed the bell once, twice, three times. Nothing happened. There was no sound and no movement. Teal`c noticed O'Neill's truck was not there and Sam started to worry. Just as the three remaining team members of SG1 had figured out a plan on how and where to look for their friend, he slowly rolled in front of his house.

Slowly, Jack got out of his vehicle and looked at his friends in surprise. "What are you doing here?" He asked puzzled and fished his house key out of his trouser pocket. Sam noticed how tired he looked but decided not to say anything. "Daniel had suggested a team evening and Teal'c picked out a movie. I'm just here for the pizza. "Sam explained grinning broadly.

Jack unlocked the door, shook his head slightly, and invited his friends in. Sam put the pizza down on the kitchen table and asked casually. "Sir, how was your day today?" "Carter, we're not on duty, loose the Sir and the day was ok. I was out in the fresh air a lot. Doc said it is good for me. So, nothing exciting. How was your day? "He opened the fridge and got out a couple of bottles of beer.

In the living room, Daniel and Teal'c had already made themselves comfortable. Sam brought the pizza and Jack the bottles. Everything was distributed and the movie started. Jack grinned from one ear to the other, knowing whoever of the three selected the DVD had meant well. The screen now featured in Big Comic letters `The Simpsons - The Movie`.

Sam watched her friend now and then. It was good to see him laughing like that, even if his whole appearance looked tired. She knew that Janet told him he was not allowed pizza and beer but she had deliberately ignored it for his sake. Mission `make Jack better` was on the way and so far, it went quite well.

* * *

Jack woke up the next morning. He had slept on the sofa again. It took a few seconds for him to sort out his thoughts but after he had done this, he went into the kitchen making a coffee and grinned as he saw the note in Carter's handwriting on the counter. `Sir, have a nice day. `That was all that was on it but for him it was more like a love letter. He would keep this note well. After all, it had her signature on it. She had written it.

Jack looked out of the kitchen window and wondered what he should do with himself today. His friends were all at work. Should he drive by and see how everything went? Or should he drive back to the park? Watching TV? He was not sure what he should do. The watch on his wrist let him know that it was after 0900. Jack knew he normally never sleeps that long. Must have been the beer and the pizza. He grinned when he realized now how neatly everything was cleaned up.

The phone rang and he had to search for it as usual. When he finally found it, there was a friendly voice from the police on the phone to let him know that he was about to get a letter in the mail. He was one of the main witnesses in the case of `State of Colorado against the three remaining men of the bank robbery with subsequent hostage taking`. Jack sighed.

That was not really what he needed and when the phone call was over, he decided to drive to Cheyenne Mountain. He was fine and bored to death. Better that he was then among friends and maybe he would manage to write one or two of the reports on his desk. His CO had been waiting so long for these and Jack knew it.

Jack parked his truck and walked through the sharp security check. He stood in front of his supervisor's office for a moment before he knocked on the door. It was rare that the door was closed as it is today. When the command to enter reached his ears, he put on his winning smile and enthusiastically greeted the General, who was sitting behind his desk staring at him in astonishment.

"Jack, what can I do for you, son? Should you not be at home and still resting? "He began after a few long seconds

"Morning General, maybe I should still be home. But I was bored and I'm fine. Thought I'll come over and get some paperwork done that's still lying on my desk. Just wanted to say Hello" the Colonel replied with a slight grin.

"Ok but take it easy. Otherwise Doctor Fraiser will be back immediately and on your case. Nice to see you and to know that you are fine. "Hammond was still looking at his 2IC as if he could not believe that he was standing in front of him again, although he could have thought something like that.


	5. Chapter 5

Jack stood in the doorway to his small office. It smelled musty and God knows a good ventilation would do no harm. The dust collected in some places so high, you could grow vegetables in it.

Slowly he walked around his desk and clicked on the lamp attached to it. With a deep sigh, he sat down and began to pick up the first Folder on a neatly stacked pile.

Jack had worked about a quarter of the files through when someone knocked on his door. He looked up and asked his visitor in.

"Sir? What are you doing here and when did you come? "Sam stood in the door and looked at her CO amazed. He had not even said hello to her, and she had only accidentally heard from a young Airman that the Colonel was on base.

"Morning, Carter, how are you?" Jack stares in astonishment at the female figure standing in front of him.

"Good, sir, yourself?" Carter stepped closer and waited for Jack to answer her questions. She was irritated, hurt a bit and so she did not know what to do with her feelings. For the last few weeks she had worried so much about him. She had sat by his bed almost every day and night, talking to him, praying and hoping. That was the thanks? He came to work and did not even say hello?

Sam could not help it and made her voice a bit cold, which O'Neill had recognized. "Carter ..." oh how he wished he had not come. His feelings for his 2IC were in full swing. She was hurt and he was responsible for it. Daniel had told him how everyone had worked tirelessly to find him, and that Sam had made almost no break. So that was his way to thank her, who helped him out of this hellhole?

"What, sir?" Sam wondered if she should just leave. At that moment she regretted looking for him and wished she could turn back time. It was just that she wanted to see him. His deep brown eyes, his silver-gray hair. His high cheekbones and his mischievous boyish grin. She missed his way of downplaying things, so many times giving reassurance in his typical way, so as not to add any more anxiety to any given situation. She missed his scent and how he walks. His entire airing as Colonel of the United States Air Force had cast a spell on her.

So now she stood here, no idea what to say. Her CO stared at her and he did not seem to find the right words. That alone is a joke for itself. Colonel Jack O'Neill was speechless. On good days, this man did not shut his mouth.

He let out the air between his teeth. "What are you doing here and how did you know that I am here. I deliberately did not tell anyone. "He regained his composure, leaning back in his chair. "Someone saw the truck in the parking lot. I just wanted to know if you are alright. Since I know that now I can go again. Sir, I wish you a nice day. "She was already on the way out when he called her back.

"I'm sorry that I did not stop by the laboratory. I thought it would be better for you to concentrate on your work. I was so bored at home and I did not want to spend the whole day alone in the park. That is why I am here. So, I can make up on some paperwork and General Hammond finally gets his reports." He wanted and could not tell her that he did not want to be alone. Jack was afraid he would lose himself. He could hardly admit it to himself, how could he to the Major?

Sam went back a bit to her superior, thought for a moment and then decided. She had seen the Colonel in a new light. He said he did not want to be alone and that's exactly what he was all day long when she was here. No wonder he came to the only place he felt safe. "Sir," she grabbed his hand and indicated that he should follow her.

Jack did not know what he should do now. He just wanted to stay here in his four walls where he was not being alone, where he knew his friends were around when he really needed them.

He followed her to the canteen, and she put a piece of cake on a tray for him. She wondered when he had last eaten cake. Sam knew it was his soul anchor. He liked chocolate cake with coco icing. They sat in a quiet corner and she pushed the plate to him. Sam knew she was moving on a very thin line. This was not about rules; it was about so much more. This was about helping a man who had done so much more for this planet than one would expect from a single human being.

"Carter, I'm not hungry. What do you want? "He looked from his cake to her and then to his spoon, which he held in his hand.

"Cake is good for you. I never realized how much cake means to you. You not only like it, but you also look at it as a comfort food." She underlined her answer with a slight smile. "Try at least one bite"

Jack realized that the blue eyes in front of him had something pleading about it. He took a bite and chewed on it. It did not taste the same as usual. The sweet taste of the melting frosting on his tongue did not have the desired effect that he had hoped for now.

"Well, I figured we could go for a walk afterwards, just get some fresh air and go to your favorite spot here on the grounds." She watched him closely and how he would react when she mentioned his secret place.

"What kind of favorite place is that supposed to be? I never mentioned that I have such a thing at all. "Still chewing on the same piece of cake, he looked at her with two tired eyes.

Sam sighed; she could not have thought that the Colonel wanted to play such games. "Sir, please. I know more than you think. I know where your safe haven is, when Daniel has once again annoyed you too much and you are short before exploding or you just must think alone and clear your head. I have already seen you here many times and before you think I'm spying on you, forget it. I was just worried every time. "She leaned back a bit and crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for what had been said to have penetrated her CO.

"Okay" that was the only thing Jack was able to say to her. Both officers got up and Sam realized that Jack only had a bite of the cake. It was a long way back for him to be the old sarcastic cynical Colonel she loved so much. She knew a little about his past and wondered time and again how he managed to come back again every time. She knew that he rarely opened to someone and here she was, just letting him know that she was there for him.

Once they reached the surface, they walked a few yards into the forest before they came to a clearing. Here was a fallen tree that could not withstand a thunderstorm many years ago. Jack gestured that she should sit down, and he would sit down next to her.

It was completely silent for a while. Everyone seemed to hang on to their thoughts and even the birds preferred to take a nap. For Jack, it was important that she was there. Her closeness gave him all the strength he needed.

Sam enjoyed his closeness. He was everything she needed to live. She would never tell him, but if he was there, she felt safe no matter which life situation it was.

Daniel and Teal`c sat in the canteen and listened to a conversation. Two young officers were talking about they friend not far from their table. Daniel could only pick up a few words but Teal`c through his symbiote had better hearing. He understood every word and concluded that his friend O`Neill was here and he had gone with his 2IC. After Daniel had learned everything, he wondered, exactly like Sam had done more than an hour ago, why Jack had not said hello.

Jack opened his mouth and wondered if he should share his thoughts with Sam or not. Yes, they were friends, but he was still her supervisor. He did not forget that. He noticed the beautiful weather and how the leaves in the shallow wind began to rustle. It would not be that long before autumn came in the forests of Colorado.

"Sir, what you are thinking about? I just had an idea. What would you say if we drive to the cabin of yours in Minnesota for a week? I know that you wanted my company there for a long time and invited me on many occasions, but I never had the time. I could talk to the General and ask for a week's leave. I'm sure he will give it to me. We could fish, BBQ and just relax. We could look at the stars and wild animals at night if they let us see them.

He looked at her skeptically. He had tried to take her to Minnesota all these years for a relaxed weekend, and she always had declined. Now she had come up with that idea; she wanted to come with him to his cabin. That made no sense in his head. So, the only thing that seemed logical to him was to ask "why?"

"How, why?" Sam seemed unable to follow his train of thought.

"Why now? After all these other opportunities? "He looked challengingly at her.

"The opportunity seems just right now, Sir, to come to look at your cabin." Sam remarked with a sympathetic look. She knew that it sounded weird and hoped he would ignore it. She was not even sure if it was the right thing to do when she had suggested this idea to him. She only wanted for him to feel better and that he would again make his jokes which always made her laugh. She missed the old Jack and knew it was her fault. If only he had been sitting in the car as he had planned at the beginning then it would not have happened.

As if Jack could read her thoughts, he turned to her. "You cannot change what happened. You have not pulled the trigger or put an iron chain on my ankle. You did not do the things some people are capable of. So, forget it. Do not bother with the thoughts. Leave that to the pros. "Jack grinned all over his face, more to himself than to the blond woman who faced him.

"Come on, let's go inside. It's getting cold out here and you're not completely okay yet. Or do you want to get back to Doctor Frasier again? "She gave him her hand as she had gotten up and smiled at him.

"Go ahead, I'll stay here for another moment. Nature is so beautiful and peaceful. See you later. "He looked at her for a moment and then looked the other way, which meant for Sam to go and leave him alone. She knew him well and maybe better than she might want to admit.

"Ok, I'll see you later." With that, she left him alone with his thoughts.

Sam knocked on the office door of her superior. Hammond looked up and waved the Major in. "Major, what can I do for you?"

"Sir, it's about Colonel O'Neill." She swallowed hard.

"What about the Colonel?" Hammond, looked at her astonished, put down his pen and now gave his full attention to the officer in front of him.

"I suggested we drive to his cabin in Minnesota. He had been asking me for a long time. I think it is the right thing to do: get him out of here so he can relax more. Maybe it would do him good to be with someone he trusted but not around here. So, I wanted to ask you if I could get a week off. "Sam played nervously with her fingers behind her back.

"Major, you know that there are certain rules. I do not know if that's such a good idea and if it does not hurt any more than it would help. "He looked at her intensely.

"Sir, neither Colonel O'Neill nor me would do anything that could harm our careers. This trip is purely on a friendly basis to help him. He said something to me earlier that made me think. Therefore, I consider it the right thing to do to help him. No matter what. "She struggled for composure, hoping that she had brought her point over to him.

"Ok, but you know what's at stake. I think it would be better if you took Daniel or Teal'c or both with you. Not as a guardian, they should not misunderstand. But I know how closely SG1 are friends with each other and how much you all give each other strength to survive everything. Only God alone knows you how guys do it. "He took a deep breath while watching the Major. "That's all. Dismissed"

Sam thanked him and went directly to her friend's lab. Daniel looked over his books again and seemed desperate for a translation. "We have to talk Daniel."

Daniel looked up as he heard the female voice and looked at her, irritated. "Do we not do that all the time," he remarked dryly.

"Daniel" Sam warned him with her the tone of her voice. "It's about the Colonel. I think it is in his best interest that we all make a trip to Minnesota to his cabin. Just the four of us. We have permission from the General for a week."

"But I have so much to do. There is only fishing again, anyway. "Daniel remarked whining like a small child. Only when Sam gave him a reproachful look did he notice what he was saying. It was about his friend. He was always there when it came to helping him and once again saving his soul.

"When are we leaving? Is Teal`c coming along? "He started to slide his papers and books on top of each other and to create some order on his desk.

"I hope tomorrow. I'll let Jack know. He also needs some time to pack his things, "she replied, already turning to leave as Daniel called her again.

"Yes, Jack. I heard he is here. Why did not he even say hello? Would not have been too much to asked for "The young man noticed something hurt.

"Yes, he is here, right now he's getting fresh air on the surface. He said he will come in a few minutes. I had talked to him briefly and asked him the same thing. He said he did not want to bother us because he knows how much work we have, and he wanted to use the time to work on his own papers. " she answered him.

"Sam, Jack and volunteer work? Since when he takes account of our work that we have much to do. He comes to us constantly and brings everything in disorder each time. I think we must be careful that he does not fall into a depression. He had something like this quite a few times in his past and each time it seems harder to get him out of there again. "Daniel noted with concern.

"You're right, he did not even have an appetite to eat his favorite cake." Sam now realized after she had considered it. I'll see if he's in his office by now and tell him about the idea. We had already talked about it briefly.

Sam reached the surface one more time. After she had not found the Colonel in his office and apparently nobody else had seen him, she thought that he had lost the time in his thoughts. It was raining and she wondered for a moment where the bad weather was coming from now. There was still sunshine earlier and now it was pouring so heavily. She only hoped that Jack would not be sitting on his log. In this weather anyone could easily catch something bad.

Moments later, she reached the clearing again. She could not see him, where was he? Sam stepped closer. The pattering rain and the dark atmosphere did not help to recognize more of the surroundings. When her eyes became accustomed to the dawn, she saw him. He was sitting under a tree a bit sheltered from the rain. His back and head leaning against a tree trunk, enjoying the cool late summer rain on his face.

"Sir," Sam knelt next to him and saw that he had closed his eyes. The dark green sweater he was wearing was now soaked and stuck to his skin.

Jack opened his eyes and looked at her in surprise. "Carter, what are you doing here? You're getting all wet and you can get a cold. Go inside, "he remarked as he saw her in front of him.

"Sir, only if you come with me. You should really come in again. The rain seems to be getting stronger and I'm not sure if it's right for anyone out here. "She stood in front of him, holding out her right hand ready to help him up.

He accepted the gesture and thanked her, only now realizing how stiff he had become in the meantime. It took a moment to relax and stroke his limbs off from the stiffness. Both made their way back to the base where a hot shower was waiting and some dry clothes.

SG1 had an appointment in Sam`s laboratory to go through the plan of how to spend a week's holiday. She had previously told Jack about the talks with Daniel and Hammond and he agreed.

It was not long before everyone had clattered around, and the decisions been made as to who was responsible for what. Food and drinks had to be procured and things packed. They packed flashlights and all kinds of stuff that been needed to survive just in case something happened. After all, O'Neill's cabin was 20 miles from the nearest town.

The next day they met at 0600. It was agreed that they would drive with Jack's truck because he could pack everything on his back and still had enough space for all four to travel comfortably.

There were relaxed conversations and now and then someone had even tried to sing a song. Everyone seemed very relaxed, including the Colonel.

He seemed to enjoy the company: vacationing with his best friends in the middle of the forest. What more could he ask for?

Many hours later, they had reached the common goal and unloaded the loading area of the pickup truck. Everything was quickly cleared away, and Jack had lit a campfire, proud of knowing how to build a fire from long ago.

The week full of laugh, fun, teasing, and nature was faster around than anyone could imagine. It was time to go home. None of the four had any desire yet. They had great fun and did not want to give it all up. But one thing was for sure: this week was screaming for a repeat. Who thought Daniel could sing so well or Teal`c could play a little guitar?

Jack saw his kids and was very proud of them. Once more they had helped him, unconsciously or not, to free himself from his situation. Nobody had raised the topic as to why they had all been there in the first place. That was not necessary. It just helped that they were all there as friends.

Back at home, Jack looked around his house. He was going to visit the doctor tomorrow to see if she would sign him off again and say he was ready for duty. He had listened to his answering machine where he was told that the trial before the court would start earlier. Why this been moved up so quickly he only could guess. And that would he please contact someone under a certain number.

Jack took a bottle of beer out of the fridge and sat in front of the television where he watched a hockey game. For him the world looked so much better already.


	6. Chapter 6

The Colonel woke up with the dawn. The time on his digital clock showed it to be shortly after 0700. Still tired he rubbed his eyes, sighed and swung his legs out of bed. With a few steps he was in the bathroom and refreshed himself extensively. He wanted to leave a good impression with the doc. Jack did not know yet how he would react if he saw the three men again. The only good thing was that these three men had never done anything to him and one of the men had been nice to him.

The psychopath who was constantly attending to him was dead. `Thank you Sam`. He thought to himself. What would the urban criminals get? What was the motive in the first place? It was probably crystal clear that you did not just take a civil servant or a person who belonged to the military as hostage. He must have gotten something on him that makes him a good target for a psychopath. A normal person would not do that. Jack looked at his hands and noticed only now that they were shaking. He tried to use his training to master the situation, but he only managed to do so to a limited extent.

That was the moment when he realized that it was easier for him if an alien had held him hostage than if he been held hostage among his own race. 'Oh, boy. You save Mother Earth God knows how many times and no one knows. Then you have such a rabble that belonged in the bottom drawer. ` Jack realized he was getting bitter. Sarcastic thoughts were racing around in his head. He looked in the mirror and found that he looked ten years older than he was. `O'Neill, get yourself together or the doc will never let you go back to work today.'

It was now 0800 when the bell rang. Jack opened it in surprise and looked into the blues eyes of one Major Carter. "Morning, Carter, what can I do for you?" He was so surprised he forgot to ask her to step in. Sam grinned slightly embarrassed as she indicated that he should ask her to come in.

"Coffee?" Jack was already in the kitchen. "Sure, Sir," Sam replied, looking around his living room. She noticed that he had exchanged some pictures. Only those of his son were the same.

Jack followed her with two steaming cups, handing one to his 2IC. "What brings you here? Is a bit early for someone who does not work like me and a bit late for someone like you? Normally you are at work around 0500, "he stated in a bemused voice. Usually Jack was very good at guessing. This time he did not seem to succeed in finding a reason for the early visit.

"I wanted to see how you are and if you need anything. It's only been a week and a bit since Janet had sent you home and I wanted to make sure you had everything you needed. For that you have friends standing by your side. "She took a breath. As Jack wanted to interrupt, Sam raised her hand to gesticulate that she was not finished yet.

"Jack, promise me something." She looked him in the eye and waited until he got his focus turned to her and she had his full attention. "Promise me you'll never forget that you have friends. Friends who are there for you. Stand by your side and fight. Laugh and cry with you. Go through thick and thin with you. Never forget that. If you need someone to talk to, Jack. I am always there for you. No matter what time it is. "

She put her hand over his which he had placed in his lap. For a moment, he was speechless. He did not know what to say. In the end it became a simple "I know".

Jack sipped his cup and watched the blond woman in front of him. She also sipped her cup and investigated the inside as if the sense of life would spring from it all and make everything a fantastic sense.

"I am invited as one of the main witnesses in the Process against the other three Villains. I do not know what to expect and I do not know if I can do it. Sam, I've testified so often in court and should know what to expect, and yet I feel so small and helpless. I do not want to see the men again and know in the same breath it must be. These people belong behind bars where they have their fair punishment. " he confessed so softly, for Sam barely to hear. Jack's eyes now swept away from his friend and sought a target out of the room far in the distance.

"Colonel, Sir. I know that it will be hard. But if anyone can manage, then it's you. I have always taken you as a model: your courage, your attitude and your loyalty. Sir, I'm looking up to you. I can still learn so much from you and have already done so. I am on your side. We can do it together. "She looked at her superior and noticed how he relaxed slightly, barely visible to an untrained eye. She thought for herself that she had found the right words for him.

"I want to go to the SGC. Doc Frasier wanted to see me, and I wanted to have her clear me for work again. I'm bored out of my skull. Carter, you know that the whole sitting around stuff is totally overrated here and it's not for me. Since you're here, I thought to myself you could take me with you. This shows a good will that I do not want to drive yet. Maybe it helps to please her. "Jack's voice had suddenly changed again to his strong military voice.

Sam knew that his wall was up again and that he would not let anyone in soon. She knew her friend so well that she could estimate him. That was how the Colonel was. He decided when, how, where and when he showed his feelings and Sam knew that she was one of the few to whom he opened himself up.

"Sir, I can take you with me. But I'm in the SGC all day. What will you be doing during this time if you do not mind me asking? "She watched him and emptied her cup with a big gulp.

"That's ok, I still have paperwork to catch up with. Did not manage to clear all of it last time at work before we had our time off. I know that it is only a little bit more than a week ago that I could leave the infirmary ..." his words trailed off. He also tilted his cup to empty it with a big swig and got up.

Arriving at the SGC, both registered and the young Lieutenant at the entrance welcomed the Colonel particularly exuberantly for military relations. Everyone on base knew what had happened and now this young man was glad that he was back. It just was not the same. Jack`s aura defined a big part of the SGC. He always took it a bit more casually. He knew how to speak with the young coworkers to get the courage up they needed and get a few extra percent more out of themselves to reach the best they could be.

Sam and Jack went their separate ways once they were deep inside the mountain. The lift had accompanied them both to level 21. Jack gestured to let Carter go first and then followed her on the floor.

The Colonel knocked on the doctor's office door, waited until he heard a "Come in", and entered with a grin. `Mission, back to work` was in full swing. Janet looked at the Colonel and looked him up and down. She had to admit that the holiday week with his friends had done him good.

"Colonel, what can I do for you?" The doctor pointed to a chair and Jack was supposed to sit down. Jack thanked her, sat down and started explaining that he was bored. He was fine and he wanted to go back to work. "You look better, I have to admit that. But I think that only 1.5 weeks after experiencing a near death adventure, already coming back to work seems too early for me. Your body has earned the break and you should give it to it at least until the end of the week. That's three days left. You can do that. "She smiled at him understandingly. Janet knew the Colonel all too well with his highly energetic existence and the urge to constantly to do something.

"May I do at least light work, such as working on my pile of files? Otherwise, I do not know when to do it anyway. "At least he tried to make a compromise. Jack knew that even as a senior officer he had no chance against a doctor.

"Colonel, you cannot stay away from the base." Janet looked at him mischievously and then told him that he could work a maximum of two hours and then had to take a longer break of at least 30 minutes. The Colonel was satisfied and left the office with thanks. Janet looked after him and shook her head slightly before turning back to the work in front on her desk.

Before Jack went to his office, he just checked in on Carter. He did not know exactly why, only that it felt right. He knocked and looked around. Everywhere were gimmicks and other small appliances. Most of these he would like to touch and see what they were good for. But knew exactly how the Major would react if something should go kaput.

Sam heard the knocking, peeked out from behind a cupboard and almost dropped a pile of drawings and documents as she saw her CO standing in the middle of her lab. She watches him for a few seconds. He did not seem to have noticed her and so she saw him looking at her technical equipment. Often a finger came very close to one of Sam's toys, but he pulled it away every time without a touch. As he stood there, he had something boyish about him. He looked more like an over-excited boy who was too eager to touch the object of his desire but did not trust it than he looked like a Colonel of the USAF.

"Sir, how can I help you?" Sam now emerged from behind the closet. She seemed to have been very quiet. For a moment, it looked as if the Colonel had been scared before he returned to his military bravado.

"Carter, I just wanted to see how you're doing. Thank you for the talk this morning and I would like you to invite you to dinner in our canteen. "He grinned wide, god knowing that the food here was free anyway. "I would pick you up at 1230 if that's ok."

"Um, sure. Yes, Sir, ok "Sam was a bit taken aback and did not know exactly what to say at the first moment. "See you later, sir." Jack gave her another grin and then headed for his office.

The day passed very fast. Jack had followed his breaks well and so, slowly his very big pile of folders was lessening. He had met with Sam for lunch and they had talked as friends about all sorts of things. They laughed together and Jack had a large piece of chocolate cake with frosting.

Sam had also driven him home after she had spent all day until 1800 in her laboratory. Daniel had visited Jack in his office and questioned him about his well-being. His other team-mate Teal`c also paid a visit. All around it was a good day for the Colonel.

Sam refused a beer in his house which Jack had offered her, so O`Neill sat alone in his favorite chair, sipping a bottle of Guinness. He had no desire to watch TV when he just remembered the message on his answering machine. He searched for the number he had written down the night before and typed it in.

After the fourth or fifth time, a woman's voice answered the call. Jack laid down his request and waited for the promised onward connection. The music was repeated for the umpteenth time. He hated such a waiting.

"Public prosecutor Bauer, good day what can I do for you?" Came a deep, calm voice. Jack cleared his throat and explained his request once more. The whole conversation lasted over 30 minutes at the end. Jack had to give a few minor details and an appointment was made for him to come to the office where he would be prepared for what awaited him on the witness stand.

The time had gone by and one day flowed into another. Jack got picked up by Sam for another few days and he managed slowly to work through his whole pile of folders. His CO got all the reports he was waiting on for so long and all the other paper stuff on Jack's desk which was collecting dusk was now sorted. Jack stood proudly by his desk, with a grin all over his face.

He was so proud of himself that he picked up the phone, called his 2IC, and asked her to pay him a visit in his office. As she stepped in, she was just about to ask what the problem was when he showed her with a big boyish smile and a big wavy hand gesture that his desk was empty and organized.

"Sir, I am deeply impressed. That is brilliant. I believe the General is pleased as well now that he has all the mission reports." She smiled at him proudly. It was especially good knowing how much he hated the paperwork which was attached to every mission. "So, what does the doc says about you? When can you go back on missions?" Sam questioned her CO.

"She said minimum another two weeks. Can you believe this? Two weeks before I can go off world again. How boring is that?" he looked at Carter with a childish upset face.

"Sir, I bet these two weeks will fly by. You will never know where they have gone. Look, Sir. The trial starts in two days. That means you could not go off world anyway because you will be needed in court, same as I. So we will go through this together and after it is all over, we will go to a nice planet with some lakes. You take your fishing gear and you can teach me. How does that sound for you?" Sam smiled at him encouragingly.

"Yeah, you are probably right Carter. I always knew you are way smarter than I am." He grimaced slightly and then continued. "When is your big day at the court?" Changing the subject worked always for him. Getting the attention to someone else is way better than all the eyes being fixed on him.

"On the first day, when the trial starts. Late in the afternoon. I think it was around 1700. And yours?" Sam checked her CO up from top to bottom and realized just now how stiff he became. The relaxed figure from earlier seemed completely gone, replaced with one stiff black OPS trained Colonel. Sam knew, under normal circumstances, that the Colonel would never ever do something to her. But she also knew that when he is a bit withdrawn, the ghost of his past loved to come out and say hello. She never had seen it on him, but she read about it and had been warned on more than one occasion to be careful to approach people who have a troubled past.

"Sir?" she tried to reach the unresponsive figure in front of her. "Yes, yes Carter. Sorry, what did you just say?" The minute he started to answer her the Colonel relaxed again. Sam could only guess what was going on in the head of Jack O`Neill. Maybe the whole trial stuff bothered him more than he led on. Since that morning both had never brought the subject back up. Sam assumed that Jack was fine but now she was not so sure anymore.

"I did ask you when your appointment is at the court?" Sam pointed out again. "Oh, ehm, I think it is on the same day as yours. The first day from what I heard. The evidence is so much they don't stand a chance. So, it should only get the attention for a couple of days." He swallowed hard and continued "I think my appointment was around 1500, but I have to be there by 1400. So, if you like the waiting bit, we could go together and have lunch together beforehand. What are you saying?" Two brown tired eyes looked at two blue ones for a hopefully positive answer.

"Colonel, you've got yourself a date. I'll pick you up at 1200 in two days. Since you're finished here, I don't think I have to pick you up tomorrow. You should have a day of rest before the trial starts. It will be hard for all of us but especially for you, Sir." She patted his arm slightly and left after he nodded in agreement. He felt so exhausted all a sudden. Reaching his chair behind his desk, he let himself fall in and placed his heavy head on top of his arms on the now empty desk.

Jack woke up in his bed. Yesterday, he spent a quiet, relaxed day at home with some opera music in his garden and a BBQ for dinner. He had rounded it off with two episodes of the Simpsons afterwards.

`OK, O`Neill. Get out of bed. Today is the big day. Sam will come to pick you up in a few hours. `His heart started beating a little faster at the thought of his second in command. He heard the doorbell ring. Jack mumbled something under his breath and stood up. Quickly he was at the door and when he turned to open it, he looked straight into the barrel of a Walther PP.

Sam was in a good mood and danced through her house. She was so looking forward to eating together with Jack at lunchtime. She knew that through all the rules and regulations it was not allowed to have an intimate relationship with each other. But why couldn't they be just good friends? After all, SG1 had regularly hosted a team night at the Colonel's home.

A glance at the clock showed her that it was just over an hour until she would meet with her CO. Janet had told her yesterday that she was very impressed by the Colonel. He seemed to stick to everything that she had said light work, many breaks, no driving a car. Janet had even asked her anxiously if everything was OK with Jack. Sam had assured her that everything was ok. Jack was just very tense and just wanted to get everything over and done with.

She sat down at her computer and checked her mails. Except for a few spam emails, they seemed to be nothing and so she was done in no time. A quick glance at the clock told her that only ten minutes had passed. She thought for a moment and picked up the phone. She had Jack's number on speed dial. It rang and rang. Nobody picked up. Sam wondered a bit, because she knew the Colonel well and he would not go out before they had a date and certainly not on such an important day. He personally had probably already wanted it to be over.

Sam was quickly dressed and sitting in the car. Her feeling told her that there was something terribly wrong and that she better checks it out. Even though Jack pretended that everything was okay with him on the physical side, she knew that not everything had healed yet. It was only about four weeks since the eventful day happened.

Not even 10 minutes later, she parked her car next to the dark green truck of her supervisor. She approached his door and noticed that it was ajar. She had not been able to recognize signs of burglary. But this is nothing for today. Sam pulled her weapon and pushed the door open. In practiced steps she searched the living room and the kitchen. She looked up and down in the basement. Everything looked normal until she noticed the open door to the back garden.

Still with her weapon drawn, she stepped outside. At first glance, she could see nothing there. She was just about to return to Jack's house when she heard a low murmur. The Major turned and searched all corners and angles. Then she saw him.

Jack just seemed to come to his senses and groaned softly. In a few steps she was beside him and she knelt. She dared not touch him because she did not know where it would hurt him. "Sir, can you sit up?" Sam asked gently

"Yes Carter, I can. Oi, my head. What steamroller has driven over me this time. "Jack tried to sit up but stopped as everything began to move around him. "Sir, I have no idea what happened here, but you're definitely being in a bad shape. You can forget the trial today. That will not be possible anymore. "Sam gently stroked his blood-smeared hair. Jack finally managed to sit. His head had stopped showing him spinning images and with the word Trial, it all shot back into his head.

At the same time in courtroom 105

"All rise" shouted a firm voice across the room. Lawyers, defendants, jurors, and the entire auditorium rose in unison. The Presiding Judge left his office that was behind the courtroom and stepped onto his platform. "Department One of the Superior Court is now in session. Judge David presiding. Please be seated," he announced, and all members of the room followed suit.

" Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Calling the case of the People of the State of Colorado versus Bernhard Newman, Nicolas Freshwater and Peter Augustan. Are both sides ready?"

"Ready for the People, Your Honor." Replied the district attorney followed by a "Ready for the defense, Your Honor" coming from the Public Defender.

"Will the clerk please swear in the jury?" the Judge asked to get this show on the road.

The clerk, now standing in front of the jury started. "Will the jury please stand and raise your right hand? Do each of you swear that you will fairly try the case before this court, and that you will return a true verdict according to the evidence and the instructions of the court, so help you, God? Please say "I do".

The jury replied in unison with "I do".

"You may be seated."

The Deputy may please make a start and submit the form so that we all know why we have gathered here on such a nice day.

"Sam, we have to. I remember, five guys showed up here. They suggested to me not to go to the Trial today. When I tried to make it clear that something like this is not possible, they beat me up. I think I got a few of them pretty good but one came with a baseball bat from behind and knocked it over my head. The rest I don't know anything about it but by the feeling I have here, they cracked a rib or two after I was unconscious on the grass. I will take a shower and clean myself then we can go. Does not take long. "Still a bit shaky on his feet and with shallow breathing Jack managed to get up with the help of Sam.

The Major wondered if it would make sense to report it to the police or let it just go. She would have to talk to the Colonel about it when he finished his shower. But as she knew him, that could take a while. She already knew this from her work when she returned from some missions. Jack loved hot extensive showers.

So, it was again today. It had taken almost an hour for a clean, freshly and ready-dressed Colonel to come down the stairs. Sam had made coffee while she waited for him and read the latest news. The trial had even been featured in the local news. When she saw Jack now, it was hard to miss the full extent shown in his face. A cut above the left eye and a bruise already formed on the right. He had a wound on the right arm that he had already bandaged up. Sam could not see the rest of his body. But hoped that it was not too bad among his things, which he had picked out for the court.

"Sam, would you mind if we drive in my truck? I'm not sure if I can fit in your little car. You can also drive. The seat is easy to adjust. "He grimaced slightly with his face, trying to hide the pain of his aching body as much as possible. Why did it always take so long for the painkillers to take effect. He had taken only light ones to keep his head clear but strong enough to even make it to court. He was a member of the USAF. He was not so easily intimidated.

Sam obviously enjoyed the ride in the truck of her superior. It took a little longer to show at the court as when he had driven, but that's why they both had a lot of time left. They had skipped lunch. Both officers had lost their appetite.

The Deputy, now standing in front of the judge, presented the case of the Robbery which took place in Colorado Springs with four men of which three were here to stand the trial.

After he was finished, the Public defender stood up, walked in front of the jury and started his opening plea. "Your Honor and ladies and gentlemen of the jury: under the law my clients are presumed innocent until proven guilty. During this trial, you will hear no real evidence against my clients. You will come to know the truth: that Bernhard, Nicolas and Peter were just puppets by someone else. After finding out what was going on Bernhard, Nicolas and Peter have been just trying to do the right thing by setting things straight. Therefore, my clients are not guilty.

The Judge looked at the prosecution. "You may call the first witness."

"The People call the owner of the bank." Announced the Deputy.

"Please stand. Raise your right hand. Do you promise that the testimony you shall give in the case before this court shall be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" The clerk swore the first witness in.

After stating his first and last name, address and business the first real question came.


	7. Chapter 7

thank you all so much for reading this story, the reviews mean so much to me... please keep them coming,

special THANK YOU to my beta Bettie, I tell you guys she is amazing. She keeps up with my bad grammar and spelling and never complains. I am so happy to have her. So, now the next chapter. have fun with reading it and press the little button at the end for a nice review... :)

* * *

"Going straight to business. Were you working there on February 8th?"

"Yes, I was"

"Which color was the car which the robbers with the hostages escaped?" The lawyer asked.

"It was blue" came the answer from the witness.

"You just indicated to the court the car was blue?"

"Yes."

"Do you remember providing a statement to police on the night of the robbery?"

"Yes."

"Were you telling the truth to the police at that time about what you saw?"

"Yes."

"You were sober and aware of what had just happened?"

"Of course, I just saw it all clearly."

"The statement was immediately after the robbery was it not?"

"It was. About 10 minutes after."

"And like all humans, your memory would be better immediately after the event than it would try to recall things six months later, as you are trying to attempt here?"

"Sure. That makes sense."

"Can you please look at this?"

"Ok."

"And what is that?"

"The statement I provided to police on the day of the event."

"And you would agree that you told the police that the car was white?"

"Yes, it appears I did."

"You already indicated you were not trying to mislead police that day."

"Of course not."

"And you agreed that your memory would have been better that morning, ten minutes after the event?"

"Yes."

"It's fair to say that looking at this now, the car must have been white, and you are simply mistaken now, one month later trying to remember things as best as you can?"

"I guess so."

A few more questions had been asked, and the witness was released afterward. The state attorney was on a roll the whole day and soon it was Jack's time to stand in the witness stand. The Colonel still struggled to walk normally. But being him meant he tried as much as possible as not to show it. He was dressed in his full blue uniform with all his ribbons and medals on it, proud of what he was presenting.

As he heard his name called, Jack took a deep breath, closed his eyes for a second and stepped into the courtroom. He walked along the aisle with all those people to the left and right. He saw the jury sitting by the windows to his right side, the Jury pedestal in front of him. As he reached the witness stand, he looked at the three men in the eye. He could see them whisper and was assuming it had something to do with the attack on him earlier that morning.

"Please state your name for the record and your rank in the military service." the man in front of Jack began.

"Colonel Jack O`Neill, United States Air Force" he replied and shifted a bit to make himself more comfortable.

"Can you please confirm that you're the respondent in the Supreme Court file # 24356?"

"That's correct"

"So, Colonel is it. You are working where exactly?"

"Cheyanne mountain, deep space telemetry"

"What are you doing there if I may ask"

"Checking out the neighborhood in space"

"So that particular morning of the robbery, had you been on the way to work?"

"Yes"

"Why had you stopped at the bank"

"One of my co-worker's car broke down and she phoned me before work and asked for a lift. She needed to go to the bank before work." Jack shuffled again on his chair.

"Are you ok Colonel? You seem a bit restless today and what happened to your face? These wounds are looking quite fresh." a concerned attorney was standing before Jack.

"I had some visitors this morning." Jack looked towards the Jury.

"What did they want?"

`Asking me to come out and play`, was shot through Jack's head. But here it was serious, so he bit his tongue and replied with honesty and without sarcasm. "They did ask me to not attend court today. I told them that this is a thing I can`t do. So, these five men decided to beat the crap out of me." Jack looked now to the three men on the bench.

"But you still came. Why"

"It is my duty to help and protect God's nation. No one can keep me from it." Jack replied now with a very stern voice.

He had grown tired and just wished all was already over.

"So, have you reported it to the police?" the lawyer now on a hunch

"No."

"Why not?"

"I was unconscious and my co-worker who is here as well found me. There was no time, otherwise, we would have come too late."

"So, you have not seen a doctor either."

"No."

"Do you think that your visitors this morning have anything to do with the three men we are here to decide over their fate?"

"It is not up to me to make the assumption."

"Ok, back to the day it all started. You have special training as a military person. Did you try to play the hero?"

"No"

"How come these guys picked you? I mean, who would pick a military officer?"

"I don`t know."

The questions rumbled all along. After the state attorney had been finished with his questions, the defense made their moves and tried to twist it all around a bit. The Colonel himself would not agree to it and he fought where he was for what was right.

* * *

Finally, after over an hour, Jack was released and allowed to leave. He quickly checked his watch and recognized that it was somewhere between 1500 and 1600. In front of the room, Sam waited for her turn as the door opened and her CO stepped out.

"Sir, how you are holding up? Sit down, you look tired." Carter helped him to sit and waited until he relaxed a bit. She knew she was not allowed to talk to him in between the testimonies but she also had been concerned. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see that two men approached them both. From the way, they were dressed she believed them to be first aiders.

"You are Colonel O`Neill?" one of the men asked the Colonel who was now slumped against the wall behind him.

"Yes", he mumbled.

"Colonel, we have been asked to check you out. For this, you must come with us. Can you walk?" The deep concern on Sam's face was not unnoticed and the other man assured her that the Colonel would be taken good care of. With a little help from the first aiders, Jack stood and walked with the two nice men. His breathing had still been shallow, and his rib cage protested now even more than before.

Sam watched them leave, sat back down again and waited. Right now, the only thing she could do for the Colonel was to give a good and honest statement. She would see him later.

The time came and Sam had been called into the courtroom. The first few questions were the same as asked to the Colonel and Sam gave as much detail as possible. She relived nearly every single minute of that morning and realized that the questions for her CO had been that detailed. He must have relived his stay at the cave as well. It dawned on her that it was why he was so exhausted. He never spoke about stuff like this out of a free will, but she must find a way to help him: make him talk and put this experience behind him in a more natural way than to just lock it in a mental drawer.

As she came out, Jack was waiting for her. He had a little bag with some painkillers sitting next to him. Sam looked at him and was not sure what to make of his appearance. He had a cheeky boyish smile on his face as if he knew something she didn't.

"Colonel, how you are feeling?" Sam sat next to him and checked him over silently from top to toe.

"Great, been given some of these lovely little pills." His finger indicated to the bag next to him.

"Ok, so do you have to go to a hospital? Did these guys say anything?" Sam still had a concerned look on her face.

"Can`t remember." Jack had gotten a bit rubbery.

"You can`t remember?" Sam did not trust the words she just heard.

"Look, we are here already for a very long time and we have had neither breakfast nor lunch. I did what I am come for and so did you. These first aid guys patched me up pretty good and that's it. So, we're here, not home. Can we go now?" His face grimaced a bit while he was on the whining side. Sam knew him so well and the way he was now, there was no chance to get anywhere with him except to just follow his wishes.

"Ok, let`s go. You want to grab something to eat on the way home or have a pizza delivered to your house?" Sam helped him up to stand and led him to his truck.

"You want to share a pizza at my place? You have to drive me home anyway." Jack grinned while getting into his truck.

"No." Sam looked at Jack before she started the engine.

"Oh, ok." Jack snapped back into his reserved Colonel mode. He was thinking that they both could have had a nice relaxed evening, but it seems she did have other plans.

"Sir, what`s wrong? Something just changed." With a playful look towards Jack, she put it in first gear.

"Nothing, everything is fine. Drive on home Major." Jack plastered his face straight forward and did not look once at his 2IC again for a few minutes.

"Sir, you did ask the wrong question?" Said Sam softly after a while. The quietness was so awful between them both.

"What's that? Which question?" Jack asked now getting more irritated. Sam could not really believe it and gave him a clue.

"Sharing a Pizza." She smirked at him now

"Oooh. You want your own Pizza?" Jack felt so stupid. He should have known his Major.

"Yes, Sir. That would be great. I am starving. So sorry to say it but I don't want to share it with you. But if you share a bottle of beer with me that would be great." Finally, the Colonel caught up with what she meant. The relief washed over her instantly.

"Own Pizza means own beer. That's the rule." now it was on Jack to smirk in relief. He was looking forward to having his friend around.

"It would be better if we invite Daniel and Teal`c over as well. We could make a team night out of it. Would be great." stated Carter who was thinking of the rules and regulations.

"Yeah probably. I'll give Danny a call. He can ask Teal`c. Which time do you think is ok? An hour from now?" The Colonel picked up his phone and checked the time on his watch.

The phone call placed, he looked out the window. He knew that the woman next to him was out of reach. But hey, he was a guy right. He could dream.

About an hour later, all four members of SG1 sat in the Living room at O`Neill's place eating pizza, drinking beer, and enjoying a movie. Times like this could not happen often enough.

* * *

Next day in court:

Today it was the day to call the villains into the witness stand. After the jury listened to a hand full of witnesses yesterday, the defendant's side decided to call one of the men in.

The judge stepped into the courtroom and the same procedure happened like yesterday. After the formality was over, one of the men stepped up.

"State your name for the protocol please?" his defendant lawyer started the long day that lay ahead.

"Nicolas Freshwater."

"What is your job title and position?"

"I`m a mechanic, at the moment jobless."

"So, who came up with the plan for the robbery?"

"Me"

"What is your technical background, skills, or knowledge?"

"I know how to open safe doors. I watched a lot of movies and studied police work over the internet. I talked to a lot of contacts that I have."

"Which contacts would that be?"

A long pause arose before Nicolas answered the question which still hung in the air.

"Mafia."

A soft murmur went around in the room. People looked at each other with shocked faces. Mafia in their small community?

"Tell us, in your own words, what you were doing in the hours prior to the robbery, how you worked it all out and what happened afterward."

"We had an early start with some alcohol. Before you ask, no drugs. Berny had organized the weapons. We got ready, and with rap music got ourselves hot. We went over the routine one last time. We arrived at the bank after it was open for around an hour. We sat in the car a bit and watched customers coming and going. We saw the guy with the blond woman in the green truck. Marvin said he bets they are a couple and he would do everything for her.

I held the bet against him, and we stormed the bank. Everything was working perfectly till Marvin started to play with the dude from the truck. He could not resist provoking him. I mean, the guy stayed calm and that pissed Marvin off. He was a guy who loved to control. He loved to inflicted pain just to see his victim in agony and he could feel the power he had over it. So, after it went all a bit haywire, Marvin decided to take hostages. We agreed before that we would not go there. But he did it anyway. He wanted to have a real go at the calm guy. The rest you know. We got a white transport car and escaped into the mountains." His head dropped onto his chest.

"What is your connection with those involved in the whole hostage situation?" With no rest, the next question came flying.

"No connection at all. Never saw him or anyone else of hostages that we took before."

"What attracted your attention to the robbery?"

"The thrill, money, kind of a daring."

"What actions did you take once you reached the cave?"

"We covered the car, brought the money into the cave, and Marvin led the guy into another chamber of the cave. He came back one time and told us that he had caught himself a Colonel of the United States Air Force. It seemed like he went completely high and into a fairyland. For him, it was like a lottery win. He hated all military service putting the blame on them for the death of his parents who both served and then the system failed him."

"What do you think was the main cause of the robbery going wrong?"

"Marvin not sticking to the plan and taking a hostage"

"Is there any additional information you would like to provide?"

"I would like to apologize to all the victims, the bank itself and to all the persons involved. It was never intended to hurt anyone."

"Do you regret what happened?"

"Yes."

"Is there anyone else that you know of that we should talk with?"

"No"

"I thank you for your time. The defense is finished and now the witness is all yours." With that, he turned to his seat and sat down. Happy with what he had achieved, the defense attorney had shown the jury that his clients were not bad at all. These kids had hearts, feelings and a conscience.

The state attorney got himself up and stood now in front of Nicolas.

"That was quite impressive. I got only a few questions for you. How come that it was your plan, but Marvin cooked it all up and now you blame it on him. He can't defend himself anymore."

"I had to tell the truth. That's what had happened. I know he can't defend himself and I know how it looks, but that's how it happened."

"That's convenient. So, we heard yesterday Colonel O`Neill here as a witness. He looked quite beaten up. Who of you nice guys are responsible for the early visit to his house yesterday morning?"

"Nobody."

"Oh please, you can tell this to your mother. You stated earlier that you have connections to the Mafia. So, don't think that we all here are stupid." The lawyer grew impatient.

"Nothing else to say. It was not one of us three. Maybe one of our families. How should I know?" Nicolas shrugged with his shoulders.

"Thank you. That's all." The protectionary looked at the jury and the judge on the way as he returned to his desk.

The public Defender arose and asked questions which should now safe the skin from his three clients. He knew it was not looking good. But he had to try his best anyway. The list of questions not been long and so it was all over before it really began.

The Judge looked around in the room and asked if there be any more witnesses. The reply was a `No' from both sides. "So, after all the evidence has been presented and all witnesses have been heard, I am ready to hear the final argument. After that, the jury will retreat themselves." He made it official with a loud knock of his wooden hammer.

* * *

Jack woke up quite late that morning. His friends stayed very late in the night or early this morning. After the movie was finished a relaxed chatting round had started and a few more bottles of beer had been shared out.  
He sat up with legs already out of the bed. A slight groan escaped his mouth and he rubbed his eyes with the palm of his hand. His head still hurt and so did his ribs. Slowly he stood up and walked to the bathroom. As he looked in the mirror and saw himself, he just had to grin. What been his teammates. thinking of his appearance last night?

`Ah well, a nice shower would do me good. ` Jack turned the water on and stepped in it. He was not sure after all if that was such a good idea. He was hurting all over. Sam promised to come over at lunchtime to pick him up. She had insisted that he get checked out by Janet.


	8. Chapter 8

Thank you for such nice reviews. As Ba`al said it ones. Cooperation gets rewarded. Keep the reviews coming and you get the chapters faster. I know I am mean but I love to hear from you guys. SO for my lovely followers here is the next chapter. A special thank you to dpdp who comments on every chapter. love you mate  
Also thanks to my Beta Bettie. Honey, you don't even imagine how grateful I am to you... love you

* * *

Lunchtime came and Jack was ready to go. The only missing part was his ride. Right at that moment, his doorbell rang. He opened it with a smile to see his Major standing with a shy smile in front of him. "Sir, you ready to go?"

Jack grabbed his Jacket and keys and locked the door behind him. Both agreed to take Jack's truck again for easier access on the side of the Colonel.

Just a short while later they reached the so familiar base. On the way to Janet's Domain, Daniel passed them and got a shock of his life after he saw his friend. "Jack, what happened?" he asked, deeply concerned.

"Had some friendly guys over for a party. They didn't like the theme I picked." Jack replied in his cynical style he had mastered so well.

"Well, you look like shit, but at least your brain still seems to work. Still the same guy." With that, Daniel hurried along to his lab to study some more of his pictures of symbols which had been lying around all over his lab.

Carter and O`Neill stepped into the Infirmary looking for Janet who was found shortly afterward in a corner hovering over an experiment. Janet looked up after Carter called. "Colonel, what happened to you?" she asked him, taking in a deep breath.

"Nothing to worry about. Carter insisted that I come and see you. She did not trust me that I would really go and see you. That's why she is here with me." He looked at Sam and motioned to her that she could leave now.

"Have fun Sir, Janet." With that, the Major left and went to her own laboratory to get some work done.

"So, Colonel. Where does it hurt?" Janet pointed at an empty bed and gestured for him to sit on it.

"The question should be, where doesn't it hurt. I feel like I've been run over by a train." Jack replied feeling the tiredness wash over him.

"Ok, here is a Hospital gown. Get changed and let me know when you've finished. I'd like to run some tests and take some x rays and an fMRI scan if this ok with you." She held the robe to him and left him with that to his own devices.

Jack muttered under his breath and with a bit of swearing and heavy breathing he got the job done. He covered himself with a blanket and lying in bed waiting for the Doctor. Shortly after he pressed the bell, Janet showed up impressed with what she saw in front of her eyes. There was her most impatient patient completely complying with what she had told him to do. That alone was worth writing a report over it. She concluded in her mind that he must feel awful to act this way.

"Ok, Colonel. First the scans. Then the rest. Do you want some painkillers to help you?" she asked him in concern.

"Nah, it will be alright. Just do what you must do. I want to have it done and over with, so I can leave again." Jack answered softly.

Janet looked at him and had now realized that the man on the bed had fallen asleep. "Sleep on, Colonel. Hope we can sort you out." With that Janet left and arranged two of her male nurses to get all the scans and tests done that she had arranged for him.

* * *

Several hours later

Jack woke up in a quiet corner of the infirmary. He hadn't realized that he did fall asleep and wondered now for a moment where he was when he woke up. It all came back in a flash and he groaned softly. Looking around, no staff was to be seen. He looked at an IV drip next to him which was attached to his left hand. Trying to sit up, the room started to spin and O`Neill decided against the feeling to sit. He closed his eyes and drifted off to a restless sleep again.

Sam was in Janet's office and both looked over the test results which were spread out all over the desk. "He took quite a hit on his head. How he managed with that to go to court is beyond me." Janet said looking at the x-ray of Jack's head. It showed a small hairline fracture. So long as Jack would not move too much it would be no problem, but he certainly had a very bad concussion which alone was serious enough.

"I hope he did not break any of his other bones," Sam whispered looking at some other x rays.

"No, all looks fine. Sam, what had happened to him? I mean, we speak about the Colonel. It's not easy to take him out, is it." Janet watched her friend very closely now.

"He said he had some guys come over to persuade him to not go to the court and testify. He told them that's a no go and all five had a go at him. He said that he got two or three pretty good. So, what I'd like to do is catch these guys. Jack said they had all been dressed in black. He said that it was his duty as a member of the Air Force to go. He was in bad shape yesterday. But you know him. If he sets his mind to something, he will follow it through." Sam exhaled out loud. " I'll go and see how he is doing. Maybe he would like to see a friend when he is waking up. He could be confused with all this attention around him which he doesn't like at all." With that Sam left the office and was well on the way to see her CO.

Sam sat next to the bed of her friend for a while now as he started to shift slightly. She watched him closely and decided then to press the call bell next to his bed. Janet would come shortly and could take care of him and explain all the questions he would have now in his head.

Janet arrived just in time to see how Jack opened his eyes for a second time. He looked a bit confused but smiled once he saw the blond woman next to his bed. She smiled at him. `What better way to wake up? ` he thought.

"Colonel. Come on now. You are doing great. That's the way to go." Sam cheered him with a smile.

"Sam…" came an exhausted voice from the bed.

"I am here Jack; you will be fine. How you are feeling?" Sam asked him, gently stroking his arm.

"Run over by train…" his voice started to trail off again. "Tired…"

"Colonel, you can sleep again later. I need to do some more tests. But I need you to be awake for that." Janet joined in now.

"Hey, Doc. You go and poke me with those needles of yours?" Jack turned his attention now to the Doc who was standing on the other side of his bed.

"Nope, done that already. But we saw a hairline crack on the back of your skull. You have a very serious concussion. So, I must check your eyes and see how they are responding. It will get bright and I do apologize beforehand." With that, she took her penlight out and leaned in to check the pupils of her patient.

"The response is slightly slow but better than I was expecting it to be. Well done Sir. So, your job now is to get well. Get to the police and get these bastards caught for what they did to you. I will leave you alone now. Promise me, whenever you need anything ring the bell. Don't play the hero. You've done that already often enough. Are we understood?" Janet's voice was stern on the end to bring her message across to one stubborn Colonel.

"Yes, Ma`am." He replied with a small smile. He hated it already in here but could not do anything about it. The only good thing that came out of this whole situation was, in his eyes, that Sam was here.

"Sir, I should let you sleep. I will come back later." With that, she was already on her feet. She looked at him and noticed how frail he looked.

"Don't go, Sam. Stay with me, please." His eyes pleading for her to stay.

"Ok, go to sleep. I will stay." She sat down again and watched the man drifting off to sleep.

Sam had waited several minutes after her CO had fallen asleep and was now in her lab to get some of her own work done. She had notified Daniel and Teal`c about what was going on and both had promised to visit Jack and stay with him so, when he does wake up, he will not be alone. Sam knew how it worked with him. First, he was nearly dying and wanted not to be alone like a small child. Then he was feeling better and drove everybody around the bend just so he could go home.

* * *

Her concentration was way off today and her mind was more circling around Jack and the day in court yesterday. With a deep sign, the Major recognized that there was no way today to get anything done. In her mind she was playing the conversation back she had had with Janet earlier. `Two broken ribs and a bad concussion. Otherwise, he is fine. It will take a few days, but he will recover soon. ` her friend had told her. Still, here she was, concentration out the window. Figuring out a way to help her CO. She knew already that he would not go to the police. Knowing Jack O`Neill he will go after the guys himself just to make sure they get what they deserve.

A knock on her door brought her back to reality. Daniel was standing in the doorway and watched her for a few seconds. "Penny for your thoughts, Sam" he started the conversation.

"Oh, hey Daniel. Well, I can't really tell you. It's all so muddled up - the whole scenario we have here on our hands. Jack did not say one word yesterday; he did not mention once that his head was killing him, and he felt dizzy. Yeah, sure, he said he hurts and was ever so happy when I agreed to drive his car, but he should have told me. I have not even paid attention to it. I had not seen how much pain he was in. Daniel, I am his 2IC. I should take care of him. Everybody knows how he is. I can`t believe it." She turned her head away from her friend. Tears started to form in her eyes.

"Sam, you said it yourself- we know how Jack is and works. If he doesn't want you to see it, he will not let you. He mastered that whole `hiding the feelings` thing a long time ago. Don't beat yourself up over this. It is not worth it." He stepped closer and stretched one arm out to her.

"Maybe you are right. But still. I should have known. I found him, he had blood from his head all over him. How stupid do I have to be to not even think that he had a concussion from the blow? He could not even sit up at first. That was clearly a sign of how dizzy and weak he already had been." Sam's voice was racing now, and the words were just flying around Daniel's head. He had no idea how to respond. So, he did the only thing he knew would help her. "Come here" And with that, he embraced her in a long friendly hug and Sam finally lost control over herself and she sobbed uncontrollably.

* * *

Teal`c was sitting next to his warrior brother leaning against the wall. He had watched over him for a while and decided then to go and meditate. He would know the second his friend awakened and would be there for him.

The man in bed started to stir and in the same second, the big Jaffa was standing next to him. He waited patiently for O`Neill to wake up. In the meantime, he patted the forehead of his friend with a cold damp cloth.

Jack opened his eyes again and seemed already a bit clearer in his head. "Teal`c?" he looked at his big friend whom he trusted so much with his life.

"I`m here O`Neill." Teal`c sat himself down and studied the face of his friend

"Water" Jack requested. A big strong hand reached to his bedside table and helped him to sip on a straw. "Thanks"

"Rest my friend. I will notify Doctor Frasier, Daniel Jackson, and Major Carter that you have been awake." With these words, he left a dozing Colonel alone.

Janet stepped into the Colonel's room, followed by Sam, Daniel, and Teal`c. As if the Colonel could feel all the presence around him, he flipped his eyes open. Dark brown eyes narrowed themselves as he looked around the group.

"Hey, Jack." Daniel smiled at his friend who was awake at last.

"Hey, Danny." Jack's voice sounded already a bit stronger than the hours before when he was awake.

Janet checked him over again and nodded satisfied. "You are recovering well. I knew it would do you good, Colonel, to sleep a while. You still don't want those painkillers I offered you earlier?" Janet inquired.

"Nah, I am good, Doc. Thanks anyway" Jack replied thankfully.

"Sir is there anything we can do for you" Sam joined the conversation now.

"Yeah, you could actually." He looked to Janet and grinned. "Speak to the Doc. So, I can get out of here!" his boyish smile widened even more as he saw the expression on the doctor's face.

"Glad you are on a good way back to your normal self, Colonel. If you behave and do what my staff tells you, I may, and only may, let you go in a couple of days." She smirked at him and with that left the room, not waiting for the complaints to follow.

SG1 spend a nice time chatting with each other. After an hour or so the Colonel got tired again, so his team left him for the night with the promise to come back the next morning to give him some company.

* * *

Courtroom

The Jury entered the room and took their seats. The judge looked around, demanded order and addressed his question directly at the first juror. "Will the jury foreperson please stand?" he waited till the man was standing. "Has the jury reached a unanimous verdict?"

The man who was the first juror unfolded a piece of paper. "Yes, your honor. The jury finds the defendant guilty."

"The jury is thanked and excused. The court is adjourned." The Judge made it final with the little wooden hammer.

All three defendants sat on the bench with open mouths. No one could believe what the jury just had said. The final decision of the sentence would be made by the Judge. The court got noisy as all the people started to talk at once. The district attorney got congratulations from various people around him and thanked them all with a big smile on his face.

Nobody noticed the two dark clothed men who just left the room.

* * *

The next morning came and Jack looked already so much better, he was awake early and just let his thoughts fly. Nobody was around yet whom he could annoy with his favorite question. He knew that in the next month it was Sam's birthday. So, he was thinking about what to give her and he also was thinking about how to thank her for the last two days. He could have not done it without her.

Deep in his thoughts, he did not hear the night nurse come in and check his vitals. He nearly jumped out of his skin when she appeared in the corner of his eye.

"Sorry Colonel, I didn't know that you have been awake. I just wanted to check if everything is as it should be before I give the handover to the morning shift." She smiled at him and could have sworn that he blushed a slight bit.

"It's ok, no harm done," Jack replied already hard at work to calm his breathing down.

"Any request what you would like for your breakfast?" the nurse asked in a friendly manner and noted the last details in his file.

"Some fruit loops and coffee please if this is ok." The Colonel answered friendlier, much to the surprise of the Nurse.

"I will see what I can do. But I can't promise the coffee. That's up to Doctor Frasier to decide." She smiled at him one last time and left the room before his mood could change.

Jack did not reply to it at all. He was back thinking about Sam and how he could thank her. His thoughts were so far away that he did not hear Sam enter this time. "Morning Sir. The night nurse told me that you are awake and in good spirits, so I decided to make a quick stop on the way to my lab." She sat next to it and glanced at her CO who was lying motionless in his bed. "Earth to Colonel Jack O`Neill? Please come in!" she mocked him somewhat.

"Oh, hey Carter. Sorry, I didn't hear you come in. These doors should be a bit louder." He stated and smiled at her. "Did you say something before the earth bit?"

"Not important Sir, not important. How are you this morning? You do look better." She gave him her biggest morning smile. Jack knew that this smile always was reserved for him and he felt so much better already.

"I am fine. You should know that." He smirked at her. "So, you are having breakfast with me then?"

Sam could see how eager he was for her to stay and share his breakfast with her. "Yes, I will get something and come back. When are you getting yours?"

"The nurse did ask me earlier. I hope soon. She said she must give a handover and needed to ask the doc if I can have coffee for breakfast. If you like, you can get yours and by the time you are back, mine will be here. Hopefully." With a boyish smile, he waved her out of his room.

Sam was standing outside for a bit and was shaking her head. This was not the Colonel she knew. As soon this man is feeling better he would want to get out of the infirmary and go home. Why was he on so cuddly a course this morning? She made her way to the canteen and got herself a tray full of stuff she liked to eat and got a chocolate muffin for her CO. If he is in such good spirits, then better keep it that way.

Back in Jack's room, he had his breakfast standing in front of him. He did not touch it, only stared at it as if the cereal bowl had said something mean to him. He was waiting for the blond woman whom he adored so much. The only time he is getting away with murder is when he is sick and must spend time here in the infirmary. Why not make the best out of it?

The door opened and Sam came in with her tray. Both smiled at each other and after Sam had settled, she had the Colonel tucked in. Sam saw a small medication pot on the Colonel's tray with a black liquid. Pointing with her finger toward it, Jack explained that the old doc told him he could not have any coffee. But for him being so nice, friendly and in a good mood she was making a compromise. So, he got a small pot of coffee. Grinning from ear to ear, Jack enjoyed his breakfast very much…

* * *

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Meanwhile In court

The whole court was standing as the judge entered this morning. He looked grim and it was telling from his body language he would rather be somewhere else. The command for everybody to be seated came after the judge sat in his chair, high on his pedestal.

"According to Section 8(1) Theft Act 1968 provides: 'A person is guilty of robbery if he steals, and immediately before or at the time of doing so, and in order to do so, he uses force on any person or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being then and there subjected to force.' The defendant entered a plea of not guilty before this court, to the first-degree robbery as well as to kidnapping. On that same date, the defendant waived his right to a penalty phase jury and the court allowed the penalty. The parties presented matters in aggravation and mitigation during the penalty phase hearing. Victim impact statements were presented, and the court has considered them in arriving at the sentence to be imposed. The defendant was given an opportunity to be heard regarding the sentences to be imposed and he made a statement. The parties stipulated to submit final arguments and sentencing memoranda and the court and jury have to listen to them and considered them. The court now finds as follows:

The accused who all have been unemployed and who supported each other, robbed a bank with loaded firearms, to flee the place, which was surrounded by police, and these men took hostages. They forced their way out with a demanded automobile. The money that was taken counted for a total of three million dollars. Two hostages had been released immediately, one later and one was held for fun. Even if it was not the three men itself who tormented the victim, none of them did anything about it. Just as they had been spotted and a S.W.A.T. Team neutralized the situation, the victim was saved. Based on the testimony presented and the other evidence in the case, the court concludes as follows: The capital felony was a planned crime and was committed in a cold, calculated and premeditated manner without any pretense of moral or legal justification.

The facts that tend to establish this aggravating factor are: (1) the defendant's admitting that the whole act was planned out to the last detail, (2) the defendants arrived with one loaded firearm each in a black bag along with ammunition and took them with them to the bank to cause the maximum of harm and anxiousness, (3) the passage of time between the date of the robbery and the liberation of the victim (4) the coup de grace. Going to the bank and robbing it, taking hostages and repeatedly letting one be tortured by one of the friends. The court finds this aggravating circumstance to have been established beyond a reasonable doubt.

The court is convinced that the defendants were sufficiently in control of their faculties to plan and carry out the robbery and the kidnapping with the following tormenting of one victim. Accordingly, this aggravating circumstance is given great weight. The defendants have no significant history of prior criminal activity. Therefore, the court will sentence all three men to six years of jail time. Starting as from today."

The hammer swung and the judge retrieved himself to his chambers. The Villains stood at the bench in shock. Cheering among the visitors in the courtroom grew louder and louder. Three Deputies of the court put handcuffs on the now official prisoners and took them away.

Sam sat in her laboratory and worked on one of these doohickeys which were brought back from a mission SG7 went on. She had a great time with the Colonel and enjoyed the breakfast as much as possible in an infirmary room. She left her CO as he became tired again and drifted off to sleep.

She knew that today the trial was on the last day and she would send an email later to find out what the outcome was.

Sam already had a plan on how she would help Jack to overcome his demons. He never spoke about it, but she had watched him a few times sleeping very restlessly and tossing and turning in his bed. Carter assumed it was the experience in the cave that would not let him go and she was of a mind to help him. Nobody should suffer after such trauma. He had suffered already far too much in his life. Sam had a flashback to the time she had met him in the locker room and had seen him going through some photos, not knowing even that it wasn't him. Daniel had told her of Jack's tragic life and what had happened to his son Charlie.

Sam just realized that they never really had talked about it. Sometimes it felt to her that she knew him for a lifetime, and on other days he would not be letting her near him, and she felt like they are both total strangers.

She sighed and continued her work. Deeply concentrating she had not realized that Teal'c had come to the doorway. "Major Carter". He announced himself. Sam nearly jumped out of her skin.

"Oh, hey Teal`c." she smiled at him now. "How can I help you?"

"It is not me who you can help. It is O`Neill who is in desperate need of it." His face not even making one flinch he realized the sudden change in the Major's body language.

"What is it? What is wrong with him?" Sam was surprised and anxious. Hours earlier he seemed fine. What was it what Teal'c is meaning?

"He seems to be very restless when he is dreaming. His skin is looking wet and it seems to me that he needs someone he can trust and talk to. I believe that you are the right person to do so Major Carter. O`Neill will only open up to a friend he is completely trusting." Teal`c bowed his head slightly and left a stunned Major standing behind.

`Hmmm, that was a bit odd. But that means I am not the only person who thinks the Colonel needs help. ` She turned around to work a bit more on her device. But her concentration seemed to be off by now. After deciding to go and get a cup of coffee, she got up. Walking to the commissary meant she would pass by the infirmary. After stopping by and seeing the Colonel was awake, she decided to spend some time with him.

He was happy to see her. "Hey, Carter. How is it going?" he smiled and pointed at a chair next to his bed.

"Everything is fine, I was just on the way to get coffee. You want anything? Any news on when you can get out of here?" she sat down.

"Janet has said if I behave my self and be a good boy, I can go tomorrow. I must take it easy for a while. According to her, I should stay a bit longer, but I promised her I will follow doctors' orders at home." He grinned wildly.

"That's good news. I also have good news for you, Sir." Sam took a dramatic pause and shifted her weight a bit in her chair. After she saw the blank look on her CO's face she smirked. "I sent an e-mail this morning to the court. Today was the last day of the trial and I was wondering what the outcome was. So just before I came here, I received a mail-back where it was stated that all three men have been sent to jail for six years each." She looked at him and could tell how his brain processed the information.

"That is good news, Carter." Jack sat himself up a bit more and both officers talked a little while till Sam decided that she needed to go. There was still lots of work to be done.

The next morning came and Jack was eager to leave the infirmary. He was extra nice to all the medical staff just to not push his luck. His sarcastic mind had lots of comments in store when he had been asked questions. In his eyes these were stupid questions, but he wanted to go home so he bit his tongue.

Sam had promised him last night when she had visited him again before going home, that she would come this morning and pick him up. He still had a dizzy feeling when he moved too fast, but Janet had told him that he could go so long as he didn't do anything at home and would take it easy.

Speaking of the donkey, right at this minute Sam stuck her head around the corner to see if Jack was ready to go. He was just on the last button of his top when both of them looked at each other. It seemed like the time stood still and neither of them wanted to break that moment. He was the first one to snap out of this trance-like feeling.

"Morning Carter. Nice to see you." He beamed like a little kid.

"Ditto. You all packed Sir?" She was looking around and could not see anything that looked like a bag with personal belongings.

"Yeah, ready to go. I had an Airmen bring my toothbrush and all the other stuff to my quarters here. I will see to that on another day." Jack waved with his arms and flapped them around jokingly.

"Ok, lets go. I just let Janet know not that she would arrange a search party in your name." she grinned and left him alone to get finished up with whatever he was doing with the things on his night table.

Jack waited outside the infirmary till his 2IC came and they both left the base. The General had been informed, and all was sorted out. The world was looking great today.

Carefully she parked Jack's truck in front of his house and stepped outside. Inhaling the fresh air, she looked around. Jack had insisted that he didn't need any help to get out so she waited patiently till he came to unlock the front door.

"Ah, home sweet home." Jack stepped in and the memories of the morning a few days ago came rushing back like a thunderstorm in his head. Sam could see that something wasn't right. But she knew not to pressure him as he just would completely shut himself off. Jack took a deep breath and after a second he stepped in and smiled, hoping that Carter would not have noticed his hesitation.

"Coffee?" he shouted from the kitchen already starting the machine. He took two cups out of the cupboard as the reply came.

"Sir, if I may ask, what you plan for today then?" She stepped into the kitchen and leaned casually on the counter watching him and every move he made.

"Uhm, nothing planned. Why do you ask?" Jack gave her the cup and sat on a chair opposite her.

"Pure nosiness." She grinned right at him. "I have a day off today. If you like we can go for a walk. Fresh air would do you good after the long stay in the infirmary."

"Sure, I don't see the harm in that, but no holding hands." He smirked at her and emptied his cup at once.

The days had gone by and Jack was already bored out of his skull. He watched Hockey games, documentaries, the Simpson's and listened to his favorite opera music. His nights were still troubled and more than once he woke up in the middle of the night fighting his blanket off just to realize he was safe. In his own home, even after what had happened here, he felt safe.

Carter had promised that she would take him on a road trip today and for that, she told him he must be ready to go at 0800. He was already up and running by 0600. She would not tell him where they were heading even if she had been threatened with her life. Sam had it all planned out and was sure that this trip would help her CO and friend.

Exactly 0800, she rang his doorbell. He had a smile on his face when he opened and saw her standing there. No uniform, plain and casual. "Ready to go, Sir?" Sam asked him.

"Since 0630 this morning Carter." He grabbed his jacket and locked the door behind. "So, you want to tell me now where we are going?" He was sitting next to her and adjusted a bit in her car. He still could feel his ribs from time to time, but it was much better now than a few days ago.

"Still a surprise, Sir," she replied with eyes focusing on the street in front of her.

"Carter, can you stop calling me Sir for today, please? We are not at work. Call me Jack, please." She did not look at him, but his voice had a mix of playfulness, annoyance, and a plea.

"Ok, Jack, today only." She smiled, and silence washed over them.

After a couple of hours, the small car reached its destination. Sam opened the door and told Jack to do the same and to get out. He recognized the landscape straight away and was not sure about his feelings. Hell, he was not sure of anything right now. Why did she bring him here? What does she want to do? Jack glared at her over the car. She ignored him as best as she could. The reaction of her CO was as expected as it would be.

"Come on now Jack." She waved him over. In very hesitating steps he followed her suit.

"Carter, what are you doing?" he asked her in a low growling voice. When he got up this morning, he was expecting a nice day. But not that she would take him back here. He was working on forgetting everything and she just opened his wounds.

"Jack, I know what you will do. As soon you are up to it you will go after these black-dressed guys. But in order to so, you need to be at your best. I am here to help you. I am standing right here to help you to face your demons, to put an end to your nightmares, and to get on with it. Please, Jack, let me help you." She watched him as the words she just expressed to him sunk into Jack's mind.

"How you know about my nightmares Carter?" His voice was more of a whisper now. He looked down at his feet and was not sure how to work it all out. He knew he had never mentioned to anyone what he lived through in his dreams.

"Jack, I am your friend. We have been working together for such a long time. It is not the first time you've been through stuff like this. But it is the first time I know how I can help you if you let me." She straightened her right arm and held her hand out for him to reach. He took it slowly and walked with her to the opening of the cave.

Jack hesitated to enter. Every cell in his body screamed in agony by the reminder of what had happened here not so long ago. He took a deep breath, let go of Sam's hand and stepped in it. A cold draft touched his face. His body started to shake; he was so not ready to go there where she wanted him to go. Inside he knew it was the best thing to do. End it all, right there.

Taking small steps further into the cave, he turned around to see Sam standing very close behind him. Reassuringly she smiled at him, never giving him the feeling to hurry up. This was a thing he had to do but she knew it was important for him that she was there. Her silent comforting presence was to calm his troubled mind.

Deeper into the cave he reached the small gap with the tunnel leading to the other cave chamber. He stood in front of it for the longest of times. Jack knew what would await him on the other side. It cost all of his strength to make the next move.

After he entered the second compartment and stepped a bit further in, he could hear Sam breathing behind him. The whole time she had not said a word. She waited for him to make the first move.

Sam could see how the body of her friend become more and more shaky. Within a few seconds, she was standing next to him and softly let her hand touch his shoulder. He calmed down a bit. He was not looking at her but she knew he was silently crying.

His face was locked at the small lake in front and the chains he had been attached to. He stepped a bit closer and dropped to the floor. His feelings were no longer buried inside him and just had found a valve to escape. The tears were now rolling in streams down his face. Sam sat next to him and laid her arm around his shoulders. That was what she was hoping for: that the whole bottled up mess he was carrying would come out so that when he would leave today it would be just a bad memory he could live with.

Sam did not know how much time had passed until the Colonel eased a bit. She looked at him and the moment she shifted a bit he curled up to her. He was so keen on the feeling that she was there, comforting him and never letting go. Another few minutes had passed, and the tears had stopped. Jack sniffled a bit, stood up and straightened himself. He held his hand out for Carter to help her stand up. "Thank you, Carter. Thank you for everything." He turned around, leaving the cave for a second time. Leaving his demons right there where they belong. Leaving a time behind that he never would miss.


	10. Chapter 10

On the way home, neither one of them had spoken a word. A comfortable silence hung over the car. Jack looked out the window and saw the trees passing by. He was feeling so relieved right now as if someone lifted an extremely heavy stone off of him.

He knew what he would do, and he already had started to make some mental notes in his head for this. Soon he would have the clearance of Janet he would put some leave-in and would hunt those bastards down. Jack knew that Sam knew what he would do and that she would be worried about him. But he could not rest and completely find closure so long they were out there.

Sam parked her car in front of Jack's house. Killing the engine, she sat there and glanced over to him. He looked at her, cleared his throat and asked her if she would mind coming in. "I should go home. It was an eventful day and you should get some rest now." She replied but wasn't sure if it was what both wanted.

"Oh, come on Carter. You deserve a nice cooldown time too. I got Ice-cream." He stated and beamed at the same time hoping that she would change her mind.

"OK, Jack. I never say no to ice-cream. You got me there." She answered him with a cheeky smile.

* * *

"There you go. A special bowl of ice-cream for a special woman." He gave her a large bowl with her favorite flavor, whipped cream and sprinkles on top to round it all off.

"Thank you." Carter took the reward for all she had done for him and dug into it with satisfying pleasure.

The rest of the afternoon went by with more relaxed talking. The cave and all the things came with it were not mentioned at all.

That night Colonel Jack O`Neill had a good night's sleep like he had not done in a long time.

* * *

Three weeks later in the infirmary

"Doc, I tell ya. I am fine. Fit as a fiddle and want to go back to work now. Nothing hurts so stop poking and probing me." Jack grumbled while sitting on an infirmary bed. His favorite Doc was standing in front of him and shining a bright light into his eyes with her penlight.

"Yes, that is what you keep saying, Colonel. Let me be the judge of it." Unimpressed with his behavior she carried on, a slight smile on her face. She knew he was fine, and she was glad he was back to normal. She knew him and if the Colonel would not find a reason to complain, there was something not right with him.

"Ok, it seems that you are ok. Your head seems ok, your eyes are working as they should and your ribs looking ok on the x-ray. I give you a clean bill of health. But still, you must take it a bit on the easy side for another couple of days. Are we understood?" She looked at him with her most serious facial impression.

"Yes, I will take it easy. Can I go now?" Jack was already on the way to get himself ready to go without waiting for her reply.

Janet smiled at him and nodded. She saw one fast Colonel basically running out of the infirmary. On his way out he mumbled something that sounded to her like "little power monger". She shook her head, smiled and walked to her office to make the final update in the Colonel's file.

* * *

A knock on the door to the General's office let him look up. "Come in," he shouted and watched the person who entered. In relief, he recognized his 2IC. He looked a lot better than the last time he saw him and with that, he pointed to a chair in front of him. "Sit down, son."

Jack took the chair gratefully and sat himself down. "What can I do for you, Jack?" Hammond smiled a friendly smile at the younger man in front of him.

"General, I need to take some leave. I don't know for how long yet but there is one thing I need to do." With a stern face, he watched his CO.

"Jack, I would advise you to leave it to the police. I know you quite well. I know what you are going to do, and I can't let you do this," the General admitted while his smile was wiped off his face.

"General, that is not your concern what I do in my free time. I must do it because no one else will. I don't want to threaten you so. I will go after these guys." For the first time, he said it out loud. He knew he was risking his career for that. Jack was hoping that the General would understand it and would give him the time he needed.

General Hammond watched his best Colonel on the base. He studied his face for quite some time when he sighed and gave Jack his blessings. Hammond had seen that look on Jack's face before. There was nothing in this world who could stop this man right now. He didn't want to destroy a career, but he also wanted him back in one piece. "Jack, listen to me very carefully. I know you must do what you must. I give you one week for it. One week only. You hunt them down and you come back. We never will talk over this again. When you come back, I want you back at your best. Is that clear?"

"Crystal, Sir" with that both men stood up. A formal salute was in order. Hammond just hoped that the Colonel would come out of this alive.

Jack left the base that day and never looked back for a minute. He got one week to get it done and over with and he was not wasting one second of it.  
As he arrived home, he grabbed a bag and stuffed some clothes in it. He got all the ammunition he had in his house and his service weapons. As he was standing by his front door, he glanced back at his house one more time, locked the door and left.

* * *

Two days had gone by and Sam got worried. She had tried to phone her CO just to check upon him. He did not reply, not at home, not on his cell. She was pacing in her lab and weighed the pro and cons in her head as to whether or not she should go to the General. How would she explain that she is worried about her CO? For all, she knew he could be everywhere and nowhere. No way of knowing and that's what it was, that feeling that she didn't know.

She made her way to the office and stood in front still hesitating if she should knock or not. As if the General knew, he shouted from behind the door for her to come in.  
"Major, what can I do for you?" he looked at her with a small smile on his face. Oh, he knew why she was here but wanted to hear it from her.

"General, this may sound not right or a bit odd or…" she was looking for the right words when Hammond just told her to spit it out.

"Yes, Sir. Sir, I am concerned about Colonel O`Neill. I have not reached him for two days now. I know that he had planned some stupid stuff and I don't know what to do." She looked the commander of SGC deep in his eyes.

"Major, close the door and sit down. We need to talk." Hammond pointed at the seat where Jack was sitting just days before.

"Colonel O`Neill came to me with the request of some leaves. He told me that he had to sort some private stuff out. Now, we all know him and yes, I have a pretty fair idea of what he is going to do. So just for the sake of his own state of mind, I gave him one week to do what he wanted. I told him after this week he had to be back and at his best." He watched his Major as the information reached her.

"Ok, thank you, Sir. If you ever hear anything from him, would it be possible to inform me?" Carter asked with a soft voice. She knew what she was asking for and that it could be easily misinterpreted with all the rules and regulations.

General Hammond smiled and agreed to it. He knew exactly how close his flagship team was to each other. He appreciated the fact that all of them looked out for each other so much.

Sam thanked him again and left a bit more relieved from the office and went back to her lab. Grabbing a coffee in between she sat at her desk and studied the carefully separated parts on her desk.

* * *

Jack had made good progress in the last two days. He found out where the stronghold is for these mafia looking guys. He had already come up with a plan. At the start off this mission, he was just going for the five guys who paid him a visit. But now he wanted to make an end to it. He knew that more would come if he left them alive. His life would never be safe again.

Jack knelt behind a bin container and watched the back entrance of a building in the industrial district of Colorado Springs. He waited patiently for the darkness to come. He would use the shadows to fulfill the first step of his plan.

* * *

The darkness now surrounded him. He had seen many people come and go. He knew the patterns of the mafia very well now. Jack prided himself as a quick study if something did catch his interest. He walked to the door and used the secret knock signal he learned over the last few days. The door opened and he talked quickly with the guy in front of him. Giving permission to enter, Jack walked inside and glanced around. He knew, if he would do one false step, he would not leave here alive.

Jack followed the guide before him to the office where he was meeting the man in charge of all this carrying on in this town. Shortly after he had been told to wait outside the door until he was called in. Jack waited and observed his surroundings. He was making sure that when he shoots the guy in a minute, he would not bring innocent people into danger.

The door opened and he was called in. As he saw the guy behind the desk, he froze in his tracks. Jack knew him from somewhere, just could not put his finger on it; and if this guy would recognize him that would be the end of one Colonel Jack O`Neill. To Jack's relief, the Boss behind the desk seemed not to recognize him at all.

"What can I do for you kid?" with a smirk he addressed Jack who was now standing right before the table. Jack's thoughts just drifted to the question of who is here was a kid, when he shifted his focus back to the situation at hand.

Jack explained his dilemma: he told him about his brother who had gotten beaten up a few weeks back and wanted to thank the man responsible for it in person. He told him that he never liked the guy and was ever so glad he got what he deserved. Jack saw a faint smile on the man he was looking at and knew he believed his cover story. Jack waited patiently as all the bodyguards left the office and he was alone with the big man himself. His weapon had a silencer on so when the moment was right and he would shoot him, it wouldn't make any noise.

The man talked and Jack listened. He was sitting now in a comfortable chair at the desk and was winning more and more the trust he needed. After a while, Jack got offered a glass of booze. He agreed to it, God knows he doesn't drink the hard stuff. He liked his beer. As the man showed his back to the Colonel, Jack took the weapon out of his leg holster, pointed it at the serving-man and waited till he would turn around.

With two glasses in his hands, he turned around and looked in the barrel of a loaded weapon. He was taken by such a surprise, that he could not even open his mouth. Jack only needed one single shot pointed at his heart and the man would drop dead to the floor.

Right in that second, the door opened. The first bodyguard, built like a monster and reminding Jack of his friend Teal`c, came in. Without hesitation, he opened fire towards Jack. The Colonel replied with a shot in each direction and the first two bodies laid on the floor

By the sound, the dropped bodies had made and the sound of a firing gun the door flew open a second time and a handful of men entered. Jack was already hiding behind the heavy desk and had a shootout with the men. One after another dropped to the floor. After a minute or two, all was over. Jack stood up and walked out of the office. Stepping over the bodies he did not pay attention to the few men who now came running, alarmed by the shots that were fired.

A few shots have been given in the direction of the man with a mission. Jack took himself away and answered the bullets with some of his own. He could hear more bodies dropping to the ground. Moving along he just faced some more of the mafia guys. By the end, there was a trail of blood behind him. Jack never looked back. The Colonel knew what he had done. He knew that there had been at least 20 dead bodies in that building and soon the police would be involved. There will be questions, a lot of questions. Questions, he was not prepared to answer if he ever would be.

After he exited the building the adrenalin wore off from his body. He was exhausted and needed to go back to his hiding place. The first part was dealt with. The main cell was burned out. He grinned in relief and stumbled to his car. Opening the door he climbed into it and his head rested for a few seconds against his headrest. He groaned softly and just realized now that two flying bullets had grazed him. Not paying any more attention to it he started the motor and drove off. Jack knew he needed medical attention, but his car was not the place where he could look at it.

Back at his hiding place, he took the medical-kit out and opened it up with shaky hands. First, he looked at his abdomen. It was just a flesh wound and would not be a serious threat to his mission. After that, he attended to his upper left arm. After both wounds had been treated, he got himself on the bed for a well-deserved sleep.

He woke up in the middle of the night. His shirt was wet, and he groaned in pain. All he could think of was that he did not clean one of his wounds out completely. He got up and slowly made his way to the bathroom. Ones there he looked in the mirror. `Oh Boy`, sweat was dripping off his face. He uncovered his grazed wound on his side, just to see that there was already red angry skin. He sighed deeply and got more disinfecting fluid out to spray on it. He cleaned it all again and hoped that that would slow the progress down. He still needed to go ahead with the second part of his plan. All the guys he had shot yesterday, none of them were the men who paid him a visit. He still had to find them. Back in bed, he drifted off to sleep again.

Sure enough, like the Amen in church, the morning came. Jack did feel a bit better and after he checked his wound again, he was pleased that the infection, at least for now, seemed to be at bay.

He got himself dressed, occasionally moaning which reminded him that he was still alive. He was in pain but needed a clear head. He pushed everything to the side what could distract him and got out to his car. Jack wasn't sure where to find these guys. His best bet would be in downtown where all was a bit darker.

O`Neill drove almost all day. He was calling it a day when by pure luck he spotted one of the men in question. Following him slowly, he was sure that he would be finding the rest of the gang as well. If he could pull this off, he would find his peace. Jack knew he had four more days left but the sooner it was over the sooner he would have his freedom.

Whatever was the Colonel's lucky charm, it worked that night. He found all five men he was taking his sweet revenge on. Quietly he got out of his car, careful not to make a sound. His mind was now in full overdrive and he tried to come up with an idea on how to deal with this situation.

He shifted his weight a bit to make himself more comfortable and it must have made a noise. All five guys turned in his direction and closed in on him at the same time. `Crap` was the only thing O`Neill could think off before all hell on earth broke loose.

One of the men, approaching Jack, came very close and the Colonel, already prepped with a metal bar in his hand, waiting for it. He could hear the steps coming closer and the guy's heavy breathing. Jack counted down. Just one more step and he would be in reach. One more step and he would give that guy a hell of a fight. One more step and all could go wrong.  
Jack pushed the last thought aside and focused on the task ahead of him. This was what he had been trained for, situations like this: staying cool, analyzing the situation, being prepared for last-minute changes and keeping your head up high.

The last step came, and it did not take long at all for Jack to overcome his opponent. The factor called surprise was on his side. `One down four to go` grinned Jack as he tired up the hands behind the guy's back, wondering briefly why no one else had come so far.

As he stood up, he felt a feeling of nausea wash over him. Not having the luxury now to deal with it, he swallowed the feeling down.

`Four more to go. Guys where are you?` he crouched slowly forward. The peace which surrounded him, he didn't trust at all. The alley was dark, and it was hard to see, no noises had been made so he carried on…


	11. Chapter 11

So, this is the final chapter. I would like to thank you all for leaving nice reviews and reading this story of mine. A big thank you to my Beta Bettie who gave some ideas and encouraged me to still post the story after the first chapter. I learned a lot and it was an honor for me to have you as my readers. It would be fantastic if you can leave a review by pressing the little button at the end...

I am working already on a new Story so stay tuned. Take care and God bless you all...

* * *

A few more yards and Jack were hiding behind another container and he peeked sideways. He saw a car drive past which briefly shown some light on the dark area, and he had seen two men standing near there. If he could take them out that would mean, there were only two left. `Wow, O`Neill you can count. ` He grimaced at his own sarcastic joke. He aimed at the figures whom he could not see any more but hoped they were still standing at the same spot. Two silent shots and he could hear bodies drop; this must be his lucky day. All went well so far and only two more clowns to go. Hiding in the darkness and using this to his advantage, he moved further. Now he could see under a streetlight not just two men, no, that was a group of ten. He mumbled something under his breath. Right now, his mind was racing to come up with a solution.

He could ring Carter. She would come. But that would mean putting her in harm's way. Jack didn't know if he was even prepared to do so. This was his revenge and no one else's.

He had not seen the man who was standing a few yards away from him behind another container. But he could feel it. A screaming pain hit his right thigh. He dropped to the ground and his breathing increased erratically. He blinked a few times to get rid of the overwhelming feeling to just let go, drifting into the darkness which surrounded his heart for the last few days.

Steps came closer and he could feel the presence of a man standing next to him. Jack had closed his eyes and held his breath. His best chance was to play dead. It didn't take long and the shooter left Jack alone believing that he had shot the Colonel dead. Sweat dripped off of Jack's face and he was now panting heavily. He fumbled around in his pockets and got his cell phone out. He didn't want to, but he needed the help of his Major.

The button was pushed, and the ringtone already was ringing in his ears. "Carter…" for Jack the best and sweetest voice just answered him.

"Carter…" a raspy voice answered.

"Jack?" Sam managed to hold herself together. She knew her CO wasn't ok.

"Need… help, sorry…" Jack swallowed hard against the pain and tried to concentrate to tell her where he was.

"Jack, where are you. I am on my way, hang in there Colonel!" All alarm buttons were pushed at once. Sam got a rough idea of where to look for him after he described the area. He had said something about too many bad guys. She packed a few extra clips in her pockets and left the house.

Fortunately, it did not take her to long to find the described area. Turning the lights off, she parked her car. Not bothering to lock it, she made her way to find her CO. She hoped that he was still alive. Why did he always have to get himself in so much trouble?

Jack could hear the soft noise of some heavy footsteps. He knew help was coming in the form of one Major Carter.

Soon Sam had found him. He was leaning against a wall behind a dumpster. When she saw him, Jack recognized her, and he smiled at her. She was melting away already. But the feeling had to wait. Her CO was in trouble. He needed medical attention and needed it very soon. Sam checked him over and found that he already had wrapped his leg. At this point in time, there was nothing she could do.

"Sir, we need to go. My car isn't far from here. Can you walk?" She wanted to make sure both of them were on the same level of the immediate action they should take.

"Negative, Major. I've still got something to do first. This maybe sounds very selfish. But there is no other way. Are you with me?" Jack looked her in her eyes. She knew from the look on his face, he would do it no matter what. With her help, he had better chances to stay alive.

"Ok, Sir. What's the plan?" She sat next to him and listened very carefully to the words he said. Her ears are strained already from his very soft voice. She was not even sure that this was not a suicide mission after all.

After a few minutes, Sam was sure she got him right. At his request, she helped him up. He wanted her to take cover and he would play the bait. When the eyes would be fixed on him, she had time to take them out. Sam was not a sniper, but she was very good with all firearms so he had no doubt that this risky plan would work.

Jack stepped out and walked in the direction where he had last seen the group of men standing. He swallowed hard. His gun was ready to draw, in his belt behind his back. Slowly he limped along, a small grimace on his face just before he was in shouting distance to the group.

"Hey, guys. Sorry to be interrupting your meeting. Just got a question." Jack shouted as loud as he could, drawing the attention towards him.

All twenty eyes were focused on him. Nobody took any notice of the small figure in the shadows behind him. One guy recognized the Colonel and in the same second, he pointed his gun in Jacks' face. Jack admitted to himself that this reaction was pretty quick. He saw the barrel shaking in front of his eyes. `This could become a bit dangerous. ` Sam aimed at the man with the gun. A shot, a drop, and Jack let him fall to the side. He got his gun out while the guy fell, and he aimed now at the men. At that, the chaos broke loose. Bullets were flying around and hitting their targets. Screams ripped the cool night air apart and after it was all finished Jack counted another ten dead bodies on the ground.

He turned himself around to look for Sam. She was amazing the whole time, so he wanted to thank her for staying by him and to tell her that it was time to go home. "Sam?" he called her name, but there was no answer. "Sam?" he called her again. He started to panic. She came to help him and to save his sorry ass. If she was injured, he would have trouble forgiving himself. He was standing now next to the dumpster where he knew she was hiding in the first place. As Jack looked down, he could see a blond woman lying on the floor. The colonel let himself drop to the tarmac and scooped her into his arms. He felt for her pulse, his finger shaking. He wanted to cry and to scream. Where was her pulse?

He had seen where she had been hit, a big red stain already covered her left shoulder not too far away from her heart. How was that even possible? He made sure she was well hidden, so she wouldn't get shot. Why was she here in his arms fighting for her life? If he could he would have slapped himself right across his face. This was his fault. He called her. He wanted revenge. Sam had nothing to do with that. Jack felt how the guilt crawled more and more up in him and started to eat him alive.

He felt again for her pulse. Now he found one, Sam was breathing the whole time and he was ever so happy to find her pulse even if it was weak. Jack knew what he had to do. Get Sam to the car and to the SGC. The Doc would fix her. She always knew what to do. Hell, she fixed him all the time.

The Colonel summoned all his strength and scooped his Major off the floor. Biting back his own sharp intense pain he just had one goal: getting help for Sam.

Slowly he made his way to her car and slid her as good as possible in the passenger seat. Hopping around he slumped himself behind the wheel and after taking a deep breath he started the engine.

The ride up the mountain seemed for him as if it took forever. As he saw the lights, he released a deep sigh. "Sam, hang in there. We are nearly there. Stay with me." He pleaded to her. If he would lose her, God helps him. He would not know what to do. After his son's death, he wanted to kill himself so many times but always found a reason to carry on. Daniel had helped him in so many ways and he never had told him that. Jack made himself a mental note to sort this out with him. Daniel was a man who deserved Jack's thanks.

As he arrived at the front gate, he shouted at the young airmen to get help. He needed a medical team here as soon as possible. `Jack you are stupid. Why did you not phone ahead so they would be ready and waiting for you? ` he could not believe he forgot such simple things like that.

The airmen called and then went over to the car. O`Neill had killed the engine and waited. There was no energy left in him to do anything. He told the arriving medical team to take care of Carter. He gave as much information as possible about where the Major had been hit. Another young airman wanted to check him over as he waved him away. Carter was more important. He told them that he himself was ok. He saw how Sam was taken out of the car and a medical team started immediately working on her after she was carefully placed on a gurney. Jack sighed in relief. His job was done. Relaxed he drifted into oblivion.

In the infirmary, all hands fussed around the Major when Janet realized that someone was missing. "Has someone checked on the Colonel?" she shouted over the noise in the infirmary. Lots of blank looks faced her. In all that drama she really had forgotten the Colonel himself.

After giving some more orders on how to treat the wound of her friend, the doctor gathered a team together and went to the surface again. Reaching the car in no time she saw Jack still sitting behind the wheel. As she reached him, she could see in the dim light how pale he looked. `Colonel, what have you done this time to yourself? Why didn't you say something? ` As she was thinking, she realized that she knew the answer already. `Because that is what you do - always putting the safety of your team in front of your own. Oh, Colonel`. Janet barked some orders around and in no time, Jack was on a gurney himself. As she checked him over briefly, she could see the infection that had spread now quite severely and the wound in his leg. She hurried to get him into the mountain to give him proper treatment.

Daniel and Teal`c now had been standing in front of the infirmary. They had heard that Sam had been in surgery already when the Colonel was brought in. A quick glance to their leader and both men stood like they were in shock. More personnel gathered around and none of the people present would forget the sight of the Colonel lying on the infirmary gurney about to be wheeled into the operating room.

The time moved ever so slowly. Daniel was pacing and Teal`c sat on the floor meditating. None of them would go to their quarters. Too important and too deep was the bond around and in between the teammates of SG1. Daniel did ask himself what was going on. He knew Jack had a week's leave and now his best friends were here in the infirmary. His answers had to wait as right now no one could or would answer them anyway.

By now Daniel sat next to Teal'c his face buried in his hands waiting. Nothing of this had made any sense to him. He hated it when he had to wait. In some areas, he was ever so patient and in some not so much at all.

The door swung open and one very tired looking Doctor stepped outside. "Both will survive. The Wound on Major Carter looked worse than it was in the end. She will be sleeping until tomorrow morning. However, the Colonel was playing with his life on the extreme side. He had a bullet wound on his arm, on the side of his abdomen, and one in his leg. The wound at his belly area was infected. It took a while to patch him up. The area is cleaned, and he will get treated with antibiotics right now to help his weakened body. I also gave him a sedative so he will sleep till tomorrow morning. I suggest you both get some rest. Right now, there is nothing you can do for either of them. Goodnight, gentlemen." With this, she turned around and entered the medical area again. Rhythmic beeping came from the monitors which observed the vital signs of her patients.

As she had checked them over one more time and had been satisfied with what she saw, Janet returned to her office. The next morning would come sooner than she wanted to. She informed the General about the exciting story happening in her infirmary and told him she would have the report ready first thing in the morning.

* * *

Three weeks later

"Come in" General Hammond looked up from his desk.

"You wanted to see me?" Colonel O`Neill stuck his head through the door of his CO.

"Jack, come on in and have a seat." Hammond waited patiently for Jack to make himself a bit more comfortable. He knew that Jack still had trouble walking and, according to Doctor Frasier, it would still take a while till his 2IC was up and running again.

"General?" Jack faced his friend. He didn't have any idea what this was about. After he had woken up three weeks ago, he had spoken with his CO. Thanks to the General he didn't have to worry about any trouble with the police. Jack had no idea how he had done it or which strings he had pulled for him, but he knew the matter was sorted.

"I just received a phone call from the Police chief himself. He said he wanted to talk to you in person." The General could see how Jack straightened himself up in the chair.

"Why?" he asked, irritated.

"That's for you to find out. If you like, you can phone him right now from here. Use my phone. I will leave the office for so long." With a smile, he stood up behind his desk and walked to the door. As he turned around, he looked at the younger man whom he could easily have adopted as his son, smiled and left.

Jack picked up the phone and dialed the number which Hammond had left for him on his desk. As the phone rang, he wondered himself briefly what this was all about as he heard a female voice answer. In short sentences, he explained why he called and waited now for the Chief himself to pick up the phone.

Several minutes later, Jack put the phone down and swallowed hard. He had just been invited to a gala evening where he was to be recognized for his actions against the local mafia. He was told that this was an invitation to bring someone with him and he had just the right person in mind.

A few minutes later he was standing in front of her lab. He remembered that it took them both a while to get over what happened. Carter had been a bit on the cold side towards him and he tried to make it up to her. He knew he never should have brought her into his personal vendetta. They got it finally sorted out and now everything was back to normal. He visited her from time to time, making some bad jokes and she would laugh.

Now he was standing in her doorway watching her work on another doohickey. He stepped in and cleared his throat.

"Hey Carter, whatcha doing?" He came a bit closer and pretended to be interested.

"Oh, hello, Sir. SG6 had brought an alien device back from PX5…" Sam stopped as she realized that her CO was not really interested in this scientific stuff anyway. Sometimes she forgot that part about him.

"Any plans for next Wednesday?" he asked, casual as possible.

"Not that I know of. Why?" she studied him but had not gotten any wiser.

"OK, you've got plans now. I pick you up at 1800. Get yourself dressed up. I am taking you out." He had a huge grin on his face.

"What's with the rules and regulations?" she asked with concern.

"Hammond knows about it. It's all sorted." He smiled and left her good knowing it will circle in her mind.

Wednesday evening – a few days later

It was exactly 1800 when Jack was standing in tuxedo and black tie in front of his Major's front door. She opened the second he rang. Jack smiled. He knew she was standing behind the door waiting like a child. The woman he saw now in front of him blew his mind away.

Sam was dressed in a ruby red evening dress, and she had a touch of makeup on her face. The neckless and earrings fitted that picture so well.

"Carter, I don't know what to say. You look absolutely astonishing." Jack clearly had trouble finding some words for the woman he could not have.

"You are not looking bad yourself, Sir." Sam grinned, took her purse and locked the door. "So, are you telling me now where we are going? You avoided me for the last few days. Not nice at all." But she chuckled while saying that and remembered how childish he had behaved the last few days.

"You will see." Was all he would give her as an answer. It didn't take them long to get to the mess hall where the whole police force was joined together to award their own. For the first time ever, it would be a Colonel there among them.

THE END


End file.
